


Little Flower

by Tigergirl1223



Category: When Calls the Heart (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-05-21 23:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 62,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14925482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigergirl1223/pseuds/Tigergirl1223
Summary: A story focusing on Lee and Rosemary, since they’re one of my favorite couples on When Calls the Heart. Starts in 4x07, My Heart Will Go On, when Lee is comforting Rosie after Jack’s departure to the Northern Territories. Also, Jack will not die in this story. I repeat, JACK WILL NOT DIE IN THIS STORY!





	1. New Beginings

Lee noticed Rosie had been a little off the past week, but he had accounted it to the fact that her childhood friend of many years had just ridden off into a violent war zone. He knew she was happy for Jack and Elizabeth and he was also happy for the newly engaged couple. But even the joy of the town teacher and beloved Mountie’s engagement hadn’t returned Rosemary to her normally perky self. He knew something was up, but he didn’t quite know how to approach what was bothering her without setting off one of her usual overreactions. When she finally finished cooking dinner, she set the food on the table and turned off the stove. The couple said grace and Lee immediately dug into his food but Rosie didn’t really touch hers. He set down his fork and grabbed her hand, “Is everything alright sweetheart?”  
Rosemary looked up startled but smiled softly, “Yeah, just worried about Jack and Elizabeth, that’s all,” she said.  
Lee nodded. He knew she was hiding something but he figured she would tell him when she was ready. The couple continued to eat in silence before Lee finally spoke, “Um, sweetheart, are you going to finish that?” he asked pointing to her unfinished meal.  
“No, go ahead, I feel a little sick,” she admitted.  
Lee happily finished what Rosemary hadn’t consumed and asked, “So it’s about time Jack finally asked Elizabeth to marry him, huh babe?”  
Rosemary brought herself back to reality as she was starting to dose off a bit, “Hmm. Oh yes, I’m happy for them. That’s why I threw the impromptu engagement party. I’m sure it’ll be difficult for Elizabeth though, with him being away for who knows how long.”  
Lee cleared the dishes and then sat down on the couch, motioning for Rosemary to sit next to him. She slowly got up and took a seat next to her husband. She leaned against his chest as she was dizzy and the room was starting to spin again. Lee tucked some hair behind her ear and asked, “Rosie, what’s going on?”  
Rosemary breathed a little uneasily before she said, “Lee, I have something to tell you but I don’t know if this is the right time.”  
“What do you mean?” he asked wrapping his arm around her.  
Rosemary sighed, “I mean with Jack going to the Northern Territories and both of us worrying about him, not to mention keeping things going at the saw mill, and me helping out Dottie at the dress shop. I just don’t know if we’re ready for it…”  
“Whoa, ready for what?” asked Lee, a small twinge of excitement building up inside of him. Was Rosemary confessing what he thought she was saying?  
Rosemary took a deep breath and began her explanation, “Well the other day, I went to see Dr. Sheppard because I haven’t been feeling well. I thought it might be seasonal allergies or Jack’s departure or some stomach bug, but the symptoms persisted. The fatigue, the nausea, the headaches, all of it. That’s why I haven’t been eating much lately,” Lee nodded his understanding, indicating for her to continue, “Well I also mentioned to Carson that it’s been awhile since I last got…it.”  
Lee’s eyes widened and he looked down towards Rosemary’s abdomen, though it didn’t give away anything right now, “Rosie, are you saying you’re…?!”  
She took his hands and said, “Leland Coulter, you’re going to be a Daddy,” she smiled softly.  
“Oh Rosie,” he said excitedly, embracing her and kissing her passionately, “You’re pregnant?!”  
“Uh huh,” she exhaled nervously. This wasn’t exactly planned after all. She wasn’t 100% sure she had wanted children, yet here she was, the adventure of motherhood lying in her near future.  
“Oh Rosie, this is wonderful!” exclaimed Lee, picking her up and spinning her around in a circle.  
“Leland Coulter, Put me down this instant!” shouted Rosemary affirmatively.  
Lee quickly followed her order and set her down gently on the couch again, “Sorry, got a little carried away there.”  
“You certainly did,” Rosemary agreed with him, her hand drifting towards her abdomen, “Just that I’ve already been sick twice today and now you might have given the baby another reason to make me sick again.”  
“Oh goodness, I am so sorry,” said Lee apologetically, taking her hand as she took a few deep breaths, “Do you need a bucket?”  
Rosemary squeezed his hand and shook her head, “No, I think I’m okay.”  
“Good,” said Lee relieved. He crouched down in front of his wife and said, “Okay, listen to Daddy in there. I know we both have several months before you make your appearance but just so you know we both love you very much,” said Lee happily, “And I’m sure all of Hope Valley will be happy to meet you too.”  
Rosemary rubbed her hand through Lee’s hair before she said, “But, Leland, listen, we are not telling all of Hope Valley right now,” she said sternly.  
“Why not? We can’t exactly hide it forever,” he joked.  
Rosemary rolled her eyes and said, “I know that, but I want to wait a few more weeks and make sure things are going smoothly before we tell other people. So right now I want to keep it between the two of us. Understand?”  
“I promise,” Lee smiled. Rosemary smiled and leaned into Lee’s embrace. She knew Lee would keep his word, even though she knew he currently wanted to run around Hope Valley screaming at the top of his lungs that he was going to be a father. Lee continued to rub soothing circles on top of Rosemary’s belly, over their child, thinking about the baby within her. He soon realized Rosemary had fallen asleep in him arms so he quietly lifted her up and carried her upstairs, placing her on the bed when he reached their bedroom. He changed into his pajamas and crawled in next to her, kissing her temple and then cuddling next to her, his hand on her abdomen once again as he fell asleep.


	2. Attachments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I took a scene from the tail end of the season 5 finale. Please review!

Lee rolled over the next morning to find his wife still sleeping peacefully, her hand resting on her belly. Excitement still built up inside Lee when he thought about the little life inside of her; he knew Rosemary wasn’t sure she had wanted children but he had no doubts that she would be a good mother. Rosemary stirred a little before blinking her eyes open, smiling when they landed on her husband, “Good morning sweetheart,” he whispered to her.   
“Morning,” she smiled softly, “You look happy,” she commented.  
“Well, last night, you said the greatest thing you’ve ever said to me since ‘I do’,” Lee said.   
“Glad you feel that way,” said Rosemary.  
Lee rubbed her back and asked, “Is everything alright Rosie?”  
She sighed and said, “Yeah, just…I was an only child and I’ve never had much experience with babies and now I’ll have to grow and raise one. It’s all so overwhelming right now.”   
“Rosie,” Lee said stroking her cheek, “Everything will be alright. I mean, I’ve never had a ton of experience with babies either. But we’ll learn together.”   
Rosemary smiled and said, “You always do know what to say to make me feel better.”  
“It’s what I do best,” he smirked, “So what are your plans for today?”  
“Well I have to get few things from the mercantile for Dottie, also pick up a few groceries,” she listed, “I…also wanted to check on Elizabeth today and see how she’s coping with Jack’s absence.”  
Lee nodded. He proceeded to get ready for the day and then said, “I’m going to stop by the café and pick up some scones there before I head into work,” he laid a hand on her abdomen and said, “Don’t overdo it okay? You and the baby need the rest.”  
“I’ll be fine Lee,” she reprimanded lightly, though she did feel a little queasy. She supposed she could find something light to eat at the café after she got ready and dressed for the day.   
“Alright,” he smiled and kissed her, “I love you.”  
“Love you too,” she said and he left. She sighed and hauled herself out of bed, standing still for several moments when the dizziness returned. She undressed and then looked down at her stomach, which was still flat, not revealing any presence of the little life developing inside of her. She rubbed it soothingly before she finished getting dressed. When she was done, she sat back down on the bed and continued rubbing her tummy gently, “Hey Little One, it’s your Mommy. You have no idea how big of a surprise you are, but, I just want you to know this: Daddy and I already love you very much and we’re going to do our best to give you a good life. We might not be perfect, Daddy’s a little goofy, and sometimes Mommy can be a little…dramatic, but we’ll always love you know matter what and we can’t wait to meet you.” Rosemary grabbed her things and decided to head to the mercantile first before finding something to eat. She still wasn’t sure her stomach could handle anything substantial at the moment. She walked into the store and there were only a few people buying various items. Rosemary perused the fabric section for the material that Dottie would need for certain dresses. She also bought a few more sewing needles and thread before lining up at the register where Elizabeth was already waiting. Elizabeth turned around and said, “Good morning Rosemary.”  
Rosemary, who was again lost in her own thoughts, brought herself back to reality and said, “Morning Elizabeth.”  
Elizabeth looked down and said, “Thank you for the party you put together for me and Jack. We both really appreciated it.”   
Rosemary nodded and said, “You’re most certainly welcome. How are you doing?”   
Elizabeth sighed and said, “Last night was a rough night, I’m not going to lie. I’m just…so worried about him.”   
“Understandable,” said Rosemary.  
“How about you? I know you’ve known Jack way longer than I have,” asked Elizabeth.   
“Well, it definitely wasn’t easy but I’ve also had other things on my mind,” admitted Rosemary, telling Elizabeth only half of the truth.   
Elizabeth set her school supplies down on the counter and turned to Rosemary, “I still have some time before I have to be at school. Did you want to get something from Abigail’s?”  
Rosemary’s stomach churned at the thought of eating anything, but she didn’t want to mention it to Elizabeth, “I’m not super hungry but I should probably eat something light,” she answered.   
Elizabeth smiled and paid for her supplies. She touched Rosemary on the shoulder and said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”  
Mr. Yost rung up Rosemary’s things and greeted her, “Mrs. Coulter.” She also paid and met Elizabeth outside the mercantile. The two women made their way over to Abigail’s Café where Abigail, Clara, Molly, and Florence were sitting at a table.  
“Elizabeth, Rosemary, what a pleasant surprise,” said Abigail, “I’m brewing a fresh pot of coffee right now but it should be done in a few moments.”  
They both nodded and joined the other women at the table, Molly, Florence, and Clara admiring Elizabeth’s engagement ring. Abigail obtained the coffee, though the smell caused Rosemary to silently gag, “Is something wrong Rosemary?” asked Elizabeth.  
“The smell,” she admitted, doing her best to keep the contents of her stomach down.  
“It smells like coffee,” said Florence confused.   
“I know. That’s the problem,” said Rosemary, hastily getting up from her seat and running outside just in time before she began to empty what little was in her stomach. The other women sat in the café confused and Elizabeth got up from her seat. She joined Rosemary outside and placed her hand on Rosemary’s back before Rosemary stood up straight again, taking a few deep breaths.  
“Feel better?” asked Elizabeth.  
“A little,” answered Rosemary.  
Elizabeth nodded and asked, “Do you want some water?”   
“Please,” Rosemary affirmed.  
Elizabeth went back into the café and quickly obtained the desired beverage, “Is she okay?” asked Clara.  
“I think so,” Elizabeth replied, “Is there any way we can bring up…?”  
Abigail held up her hand, interrupting Elizabeth in the process, “I think we should wait until Rosemary is ready to tell us.”  
“Okay,” agreed Elizabeth and she went back outside to deliver the water.  
“Thanks,” said Rosemary gratefully, taking slow hesitant sips.   
“Do you think you could handle something light, like biscuits?” asked Elizabeth.  
Rosemary grimaced but said, “I guess I should try to eat something.” They joined the other ladies and Rosemary began picking at the biscuits on the table. She glanced up at her five friends before she said, “I know you all know now. What just happened sort of gave it away.”  
“We didn’t want to say anything until you did,” mentioned Molly.   
“Well, I’ve said something, even if it was the grossest way possible,” emphasized Rosemary.   
“Ah, Rosemary, many of us here have been there,” said Abigail grabbing her hand.  
“How far along are you?” asked Elizabeth curiously.  
“Dr. Shepherd said seven weeks as of Tuesday,” confirmed Rosemary, “Hence, the morning sickness.”   
“Do you want some peppermint tea for your stomach? It helped me when I was pregnant with Peter,” said Abigail.  
“Worth a shot,” agreed Rosemary and Abigail went to start a pot.   
“Ginger candies also can help. They sell them at the mercantile,” informed Molly.  
“I’ll pick some up on the way home,” said Rosemary. Abigail soon returned with a steaming mug of tea and Rosemary smiled appreciatively   
“Well, I have to get to the church as my students should be arriving soon. See you ladies. Hope you feel better,” said Elizabeth patting Rosemary on the shoulder.   
“Have a good day Elizabeth,” they all bid their farewells. Rosemary stood as well and said, “Well, I best be going as well. I have to get these supplies to Dottie.”  
“Well take it easy,” said Abigail.  
“Yes, you will need a lot of energy for your new little resident,” said Molly.  
Rosemary rolled her eyes and said, “Now you all sound like Lee. Thanks for all of the advice.”  
“Anytime,” they said and Rosemary headed to the dress shop.   
Later that night, Lee arrived home later than was Rosemary was expecting. He entered the house and found his wife sleeping peacefully on the couch. He hung up his coat and sat down next to her, gently rubbing her back, “Rosie.”  
Rosie jumped and groaned at being woken up, but sat up on the couch and kissed her husband, “Hi honey.”   
“How was your day?” he asked, still rubbing her back soothingly.  
“Well, all of Hope Valley will know I’m expecting by tomorrow afternoon,” admitted Rosemary unhappily.   
“I thought you weren’t planning on telling anybody?” asked Lee.  
“I wasn’t,” established Rosemary, “But, I ran into Elizabeth at the mercantile and we went over to Abigail’s for breakfast where Florence, Molly, Abigail, and Clara were eating as well and once I got a whiff of the coffee…” Rosemary trailed off mid-sentence. Lee chuckled and Rosemary scolded at him, “It’s not funny Lee!” she shouted angrily.   
“No, I know, I’m sorry,” he apologized taking her hand, “Guess our little one wanted to be discovered earlier than we wanted.”  
Rosemary couldn’t help but smile, “Well maybe this baby is going to be exactly like her Mommy.”  
Lee’s eyes widened, “Her Mommy? No, no, it’s definitely a little Lee Jr. growing in there,” said Lee rubbing her abdomen.   
Rosemary rolled her eyes jokingly and said, “Well we have to wait until fall to find out little one.”  
“Yes, we do,” said Lee kissing her abdomen, “But I’m sure I’ll be able to convince Mommy you’re a boy by then.”  
“Lee!” laughed Rosemary.  
Lee laughed and kissed her, “I’ll go start some dinner that hopefully you can stomach as well.”  
Rosemary groaned and laid her head into Lee’s chest, “Don’t count on it.”


	3. Worries

A few weeks had passed since Rosemary had found out about her pregnancy and everything was “as it should be” according to Dr. Shepherd. Unfortunately for Rosemary, the first trimester involved morning sickness, fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, and plenty of mood swings. Poor Lee had been a saint for the past several weeks when dealing with her; Rosemary knew she wouldn’t have had the patience to deal with herself during this time. But he had been there through it all, from holding her hair back when she was vomiting to satisfying cravings no matter how weird they seemed to doing housework if she was too tired or nauseated to do it herself. She didn’t know how she had become so lucky and blessed to find Lee, but she thanked God every day for him.   
Another reason she was so grateful to have Lee was the fact that he was always willing to listen to her about her worries about becoming a mother. He had lent an ear to all her rants and dealt with all of her mood swings and follow-up apologies for lashing out on him for the umpteenth time in the past month, “It’s just the hormones Rosie. You’ll feel like yourself again soon,” he would always reply.   
Five weeks had passed since she had told him and most of Hope Valley knew she was expecting by now. Abigail had been bringing her meals that she could stomach, Dottie had reassured her it was okay to scale back her time spent at the dress shop, and Jesse had stepped up at the saw mill so Lee could be home on time.   
Rosemary woke up one morning and rolled over to find an empty space, smiling to herself. Though it was a Saturday, she knew that Lee would always be up at sunrise, no matter what day of the week it was. She slowly sat up in bed and took a few deep breaths, hoping the nausea would dissipate. She still had to deal with morning sickness, but thankfully it had become true morning sickness, meaning most of the time she was only queasy in the morning now. Peppermint tea and ginger candies had been helping, just as Abigail and Molly had advised, but she was still thankful that the worst seemed to be past. She grabbed a ginger candy to suck on just to be on the safe side and went downstairs to find her husband, “Good morning sweetheart,” he said when he saw her come down the stairs.   
“Morning,” she smiled softly, “Have you started breakfast yet?”  
“Uh, no, I was waiting until you were up because I didn’t know if you were craving anything,” said Lee hoping to avoid a mood swing.  
“Oh, that makes sense,” said Rosemary and Lee silently breathed a sigh of relief. She smirked and asked, “Do we have ingredients for pancakes?”   
Lee raised his eyebrows, “Pancakes, that’s all you want? Not some sort of odd pregnant woman’s special?”   
Rosemary scowled but then smiled because she knew he was joking, “Yes, that’s all I want. Pancakes with lots of maple syrup.”  
“As you wish,” said Lee kissing her forehead as he went to look for all of the necessary elements, though it seemed a few things were missing, “Uh, sweetheart?”   
“Yeah,” she called.  
“It seems we are out of eggs and maple syrup,” informed Lee.  
“What? I thought I picked them up the other day?” asked Rosemary coming over to the food pantry and small refrigerator.  
“Well I guess you forgot,” mentioned Lee.  
Rosemary began to get flustered and tear up, “I’m sorry Lee, if I had known I wouldn’t have asked for pancakes,” she began to cry.  
“Rosie, look at me,” he said, laying his left hand on her shoulder and using his right hand to bring her face up so he could gaze into her tear-filled green eyes, “It’s alright, I know forgetfulness can happen because of pregnancy.”  
“How…how did you know?” asked Rosemary.  
“I may have talked to both Carson and Abigail Stanton about some things I should know,” admitted Lee.   
Rosemary chuckled, “Oh,” she said wiping her eyes, “Well, maybe we can take a trip to the store together and then we can have those pancakes.”  
Lee nodded, “I’ll wait for you to get ready.”   
Rosemary pecked him on the cheek and went back upstairs to freshen up and change. She changed out of her nightgown and paused before she made an attempt to put on her corset. She smiled as she looked down and rubbed her abdomen, admiring the small bump that was already forming. Lee didn’t know she had one yet; she hadn’t really been up for any kind of intimacy the past few weeks and she had been able to adjust her corset to accommodate her growing midsection. Though as she laced it up currently, she figured it wouldn’t be much longer before she would have to invest in a maternity corset, given the fact that both the top and the bottom of her standard one were straining. She hastily put on a blouse and skirt before joining Lee, “You ready darling?” she asked.  
“After you Madame Coulter,” said Lee opening the door.   
Rosemary turned to her husband, “So I was thinking, would it be okay with you if I invited Elizabeth over for dinner tonight? I know she must be lonely without Jack.”  
Lee shrugged his shoulders, “Fine by me. What did you plan on making?”  
“I was thinking pot roast,” said Rosemary, “I can pick up a few things at the store and then we can stop by Elizabeth’s house on the way back home.”  
“Sounds like a plan,” said Lee. After the couple had purchase maple syrup, eggs, and a few other items, they stopped by Elizabeth’s house, where she was in the midst of grading spelling tests.   
“Lee, Rosemary, I didn’t know you both were coming by today,” said Elizabeth surprised.  
“It wasn’t our original plan. But I wanted pancakes and the other day, I forgot to buy eggs. And maple syrup,” admitted Rosemary and Elizabeth chuckled, covering her mouth when her friend scowled at her. She knew enough about pregnancy to know she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a mood swing.  
“I’m sorry, go on, “apologized Elizabeth.  
“We were wondering if you wanted to have dinner at our house tonight, you know, for some company since Jack is away,” said Rosemary.  
Elizabeth smiled, grateful for the invitation, “That would be lovely, what time?”  
“Six?” questioned Lee. They all agreed and the Coulters went back home so Rosemary could satisfy her pancake craving. At six o’clock on the dot Elizabeth arrived with a package of tea, “I know wine is the usual gift, but you obviously can’t have that right now,” said Elizabeth.  
“Thank you, Elizabeth, I appreciate it. I’ve been going through a lot of tea lately,” said Rosemary.  
“Right. How is everything going?” asked Elizabeth curiously.  
“Well, Carson says everything is as it should be at this stage, the morning sickness is thankfully just in the morning now, not all day, and I can get through the day without two naps,” said Rosemary.  
“Well that’s good,” said Elizabeth as she sat down, Lee poured the water, and Rosemary set the pot roast on the table.   
They said their prayers before Lee looked at Elizabeth and asked, “So, have you heard from Jack?”  
Elizabeth smiled happily and said, “Yes, he wrote just the other day. They’re all doing well, though he did describe it as a Hell he wouldn’t wish anyone to face,” her smile faltered.  
Rosemary grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and said, “He’ll be okay Elizabeth. All of Hope Valley is praying for him.”  
“I know but it’s still difficult not to worry,” sighed Elizabeth.   
There was a knock at the door and Lee went to answer it, “Jesse,” he said shocked.   
“Hey, Mr. Coulter, sorry for interrupting, but it’s important. Hi, Mrs. Coulter, Ms. Thatcher,” he greeted. They nodded and Jesse continued, “Can we talk outside?”   
“Sure,” he nodded and said, “I’ll be right back.”  
“Take your time,” said Rosemary as her husband stepped outside. The two women stayed silent for a few moments before Rosemary took a deep breath, “Hey Elizabeth, can I talk to you about something?”  
Elizabeth put down her fork and gave Rosemary her full attention, “Sure, anything.”   
“Well, I haven’t asked anyone this, not even Lee, because I know he’ll tell me what I want to hear no matter what, but…do you think I’ll even be a good mother?” she hesitated.   
Elizabeth creased her eyebrows and answered, “I course I think you’ll be a good mother. Why would you think otherwise?”  
“Well, it’s just…” she played with her food, “I was an only child. I have no experience with babies or children. I didn’t even babysit growing up. I’ve never been a huge fan of children and I was never 100% sure I even wanted them. I mean, I’ve always known Lee wanted kids and he’s so good with them. I know he’s going to be a terrific father. And at first, I could just pretend the fatigue and the nausea were some sort of illness, but now it’s getting to be very real.”  
“What do you mean?” asked Elizabeth.  
“Well, I mean for the past few weeks, it feels like a little creature has taken over my body, which it has, but now, looking in a mirror, let’s just say my bosom and abdomen have started to learn that I’m pregnant.”   
“Oh,” said Elizabeth. She could definitely see where Rosemary’s chest was bigger but she didn’t want to mention it.   
“And just…seeing the bump for the first time, every time I lay eyes on it actually, it’s exciting, but terrifying. It was hard to believe at first, but now having the visuals, it’s all so overwhelming,” Rosemary vented.  
“Rosemary, everything will work out and you’ll get the hang of parenting,” comforted Elizabeth.  
“Easy for you to say, you’re a school teacher,” chastised Rosemary lightly.  
“True,” Elizabeth chuckled, “Have you told Lee how you feel?”  
Rosemary shook her head, “No, I don’t know how to bring it up to him with the way he’s been acting lately.”  
“Has he been treating you poorly?” asked Elizabeth concerned. Lee didn’t seem to have a mean bone in his body.  
“No, no, he’s been great,” assured Rosemary. She sighed and answered, “Almost too great. That’s the problem. He’s so excited. He’ll read to the baby and sing to the baby. He’s already talking about the nursery and picking out baby names. He’s more than ready to be a Daddy. And I’m just afraid I’ll never get to the excitement level he’s at,” Rosemary frowned.  
“Ah, Rosemary,” said Elizabeth grabbing her hand this time, “You’ll get there. Your head and your heart just need to get on the same page. I know you, you love passionately, and I have no doubt you’ll be the best mother to your baby. But, I would let Lee know how you feel.”  
Rosemary nodded, “I was afraid you’d say that,” she smirked sarcastically.  
“Sorry ladies, railroad business,” said Lee coming back into the house.   
“It’s no problem Lee, but I’m afraid I have to get back home soon. I promised Jack I’d take care of Rip while he was gone,” said Elizabeth getting up and putting on her coat.  
“You don’t want to stay for dessert?” asked Lee.  
Elizabeth shook her head, “I think Rosemary needs her husband tonight.”  
They both bid their farewells and Elizabeth left. Lee and Rosemary started cleaning the dishes and Lee asked, “What do you suppose Elizabeth meant?”  
Rosemary sighed, “She meant about what I told her Lee.” Rosemary proceeded to pour her heart out to Lee, detailing all her fears, anxieties, and worries about pregnancy and parenting. As they dressed for bed, she pulled off her corset and said, “In addition to the fears I have, the reality of my pregnancy has set in,” she took it off, revealing a tiny baby bump.   
Lee grinned from ear to ear, “Rosemary, why didn’t you tell me all of this?”  
“Because you’re so excited, I didn’t want to burst your bubble or worry you,” admitted Rosemary, putting on one of her nightgowns, “And I didn’t want you to hate me for feeling the way I am.”  
“Rosie, I could never hate you,” said Lee crawling in bed next to her, “And if we’re being completely honest, I’ve been scared to death.”  
“Really?” asked Rosemary, slightly comforted by the fact that she wasn’t feeling alone.   
“Of course, who wouldn’t be?” asked Lee, “I mean, I’m worried about both you and the baby. But in a way, all things that are new and worth it are slightly scary,” his hand drifted to Rosemary’s abdomen, a small smile forming when he felt the protrusion, “Rosie, I know you’re scared. But I know you; you can do anything you set your mind to. And I know you’re going to be a wonderful mother to Lee or Rosie Jr. here.”   
Rosemary cried and laughed as Lee kissed the home of his unborn child, “I love you Lee. So much.”  
“I love you too,” he stroked her cheek. He gave a mischievous grin, “But since you’ve been feeling better…”  
Rosemary rolled her eyes. She knew her husband and she knew what that grin meant, “Leland Coulter…”   
“What,” he kissed her, “We’ve already established we love each other.”  
Rosemary chuckled as her husband continued to kiss her. She laughed and smiled, “If you insist, Mr. Coulter.”


	4. Desperation

Rosemary hesitantly walked into Abigail’s glancing around to make sure her husband wasn’t having a morning coffee and scone. When she didn’t see him in sight, she hesitantly walked over to where Abigail and Elizabeth were communicating. She held her hand up to interrupt their conversation and asked, “Lee isn’t here, is he?”   
“Um, he was by earlier, but he’s since left,” informed Abigail.  
“Oh thank goodness,” sighed Rosemary in relief, sitting down at the table with the town mayor and school teacher.  
Elizabeth and Abigail chuckled at each other, “Problems?” asked Elizabeth amusingly.  
“Yes,” said Rosemary with a ‘duh’ look, “I know Lee is just trying to look out for me and the baby and it was great when I was sick and tired the entire first trimester, but now it’s a tad…how do I put this nicely…ANNOYING!”   
Elizabeth and Abigail struggled to hide their amusement and Abigail composed herself, “Ah Rosie, Lee is just worried about you.”  
“I know, but seriously, I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” said Rosemary, “He won’t let me do anything now, even though I’m just restless reading all day. And he constantly wants me to eat healthy all…the time,” emphasized Rosemary.  
“Well, eating healthy and getting proper nutrients is good for the little one,” said Elizabeth sipping her coffee.  
“I know that!” shouted Rosemary, “Listen Abigail, do you have anything with chocolate? Seriously, I will take chocolate covered broccoli at this point,” she said desperately.   
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose but chuckled and Abigail laughed, “I think I have some leftover chocolate cake from last night in the back room. Will that work?”  
“Thank you,” said Rosemary in relief and Abigail went to get the cake.   
Elizabeth turned to her friend and said, “Listen, Rosemary, please don’t take offense to this question, but considering I’ve never been pregnant before and little ones might be in my 3-5 year future, are cravings as strong as pregnant women claim?”  
“Oh goodness, yes,” confirmed Rosemary as Abigail brought a large slice of cake, to which Rosemary immediately began devouring it, “Everything from chocolate to steak. And during the first trimester, Lee basically let me have whatever I wanted because it meant I was eating, but now he only wants me to eat what’s healthy for me and the baby.”   
“Well, in Lee’s defense, no you shouldn’t be eating too much junk food at this time in your life,” explained Abigail, “However, it is okay to indulge in sweets occasionally, as long as it’s in moderation.”   
Rosemary smirked and said, “Good, because if I had gone another day without something sweet, I think Lee would’ve been seeing one of the not so happy mood swings tonight.”   
“Understandable,” empathized Abigail, “When I was pregnant with Peter, Noah was always checking in on me, even when he was supposed to be at work.”  
“I don’t even want to know how Jack is going to react. He’s overprotective of me now; I can only imagine his security mode will increase times ten once I’m carrying his child.”   
A few customers entered the café and Abigail excused herself, “Excuse me, looks like I have more customers.”  
She went to greet them and Rosemary picked at what little was left of her cake, “So, I guess you and Jack have already discussed children?”  
Elizabeth sighed, “A little, but not extensively. I mean, I know he wants a baseball team, but coming from the woman’s perspective, I don’t know if I want to go through that more than two or three times.”   
“He always did love children. It was one of our deal breakers to be honest. He wanted like ten kids, I didn’t want any. That didn’t work out…obviously,” said Rosemary gesturing towards her bump.  
Elizabeth wanted to comfort Rosemary, but the shock of Rosemary’s admission about Jack had thrown her off, “T…ten kids?” asked Elizabeth shockingly, again thinking about it from the woman’s point of view. She wasn’t even the one with the pain of childbirth lingering in her near future and she was already horrified at the thought.  
“Did I say ten? Maybe he would accept eight?” smirked Rosemary, knowing she was pushing Elizabeth’s buttons at this point.  
“Okay, we’re done talking about this subject,” established Elizabeth and Rosemary laughed.  
“No, but seriously, how many do you want?” asked Rosemary. She highly doubted Elizabeth didn’t want any kids. Her friend was too maternal.  
“Three, max!” stressed Elizabeth, “After that, I can get my fill of kids with my students.” Rosemary smiled satisfied, grateful that Elizabeth hadn’t brought up anything about her upcoming birth. She was nervous enough as it was, “Listen, when it comes to Jack, everybody is so concerned about me, because, well…”  
“He _is_ your fiancée, Elizabeth,” said Rosemary.  
“Yes, I know, but I think a lot of people tend to forget how good of friends you both are. How have you been doing?” asked Elizabeth softly.  
Rosemary sighed, “I mean, it’s hard not to worry about him, with him being on such a dangerous assignment. Lee listens to me when I have to vent, but we both also have, well, you know what on our minds.” Elizabeth nodded and Rosemary breathed loudly, “Well, I guess I should be getting to the dress shop. It’s been the first time in several weeks since I can move without puking, fainting, or falling asleep,” she gathered her things and said, “Have a good day Elizabeth.”  
“You too,” acknowledged Elizabeth.   
Rosemary arrived at the shop and put in her request for the much dreaded maternity corset as she was now sixteen weeks along, well into the second trimester. She had been holding off for as long as possible, and she had even attempted to have Lee help her lace it up that morning (what an adventurous yet hysterical experience that had been), but alas, there was no more denying the fact that she would slowly be gaining weight and have a growing chest and midsection for the next five months. Of course, the women who had children all sympathized with her, but it didn’t stop her from hating the concept. She arrived home later that night where Lee was already home, attempting to find something to make for dinner. He smiled when he saw his wife and said, “Uh sweetheart, I think we’re out of eggs. Again…” he said.  
“That’s alright. I’m not really hungry anyways,” she said.  
Lee looked over at her and noticed the tension in her body, even from a distance, “Rosie, what’s wrong?”  
Lee and Rosemary sat down on the couch and she stated, “I finally gave in.”  
“Gave in to what?” asked a confused Lee, raising an eyebrow.  
Rosemary rolled her eyes, “The maternity corset Lee!”  
“Oh,” he said, “Well, what’s wrong with that? You’ll at least have a little more room then.”   
“I know,” she agreed, “Just a reminder that I’ll be getting fat for the next five months.”   
“Sweetheart, you’re not getting fat,” stated Lee adamantly. This was about the fifth time he had told her that in the past few weeks, “Getting fat and being pregnant are two different things. You are the latter.”   
“Easy for you to say,” said Rosemary, “And you’re my husband, so you have to say that.”  
“Okay, maybe I do,” he said, placating her. His hand drifted down to her belly, and she was far enough along that the bump showed, even when she wore a baggier blouse. He smiled and said, “But I promise you that I mean every word I say.”  
She kissed him, “Lee, can you answer me honestly?”  
“Of course,” he confirmed.  
“Do you still think I’ll still be cute when I’m huge?” she asked, placing her hand on top of his.  
He smiled and kissed her again. He brought his hand up to her cheek, “You’ll be beautiful. Just like the moment I laid eyes on you.”   
She grinned and said, “I don’t think I’ll look exactly the same as I did when we met.”  
“No, that’s true,” said Lee. His hand went back down to her abdomen and he rubbed it gently, “You’ll be even more beautiful.”  
“Lee, so help me if you give me that whole ‘pregnant women glow’ speech,” warned Rosemary.  
That was exactly what Lee was planning on doing, but he decided against it. Instead he just decided to enjoy the moment with his gorgeous wife. He looked down at her and smiled. At that moment, he felt like the luckiest man in all of Hope Valley.


	5. Doubts

Lee was working late this particular evening and Rosemary couldn’t find anything in the house that she was in the mood for at the moment. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the baby wanted lasagna. Okay, so maybe it was the woman carrying the baby who wanted lasagna, but still. She smiled and rubbed her twenty-week pregnant belly. Turns out, most of the Hope Valley women had been right about the maternity corset allowing for more room. At least she was no longer struggling to breath nor were Lee and she struggling to lace it every morning (somehow it had always become some sort of foreplay). Okay, maybe _that_ drive was increasing for her too but not at nine o’clock in the morning. She gathered her belongings and made her way over to the schoolhouse, hoping Elizabeth might be available to join her. Once she arrived at the church, Elizabeth and Opal were still at her desk up front, “Hi Mrs. Coulter!” greeted Opal happily  
“Hi Opal,” Rosemary smiled touching the young girl on the shoulder before approaching Elizabeth.  
“Hey, Rosemary, what’s up?” asked Elizabeth, giving Rosemary her full attention.  
“Listen, Lee is working late tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to join me for dinner at Abigail’s for some girl time?” asked Rosemary curiously.  
“Oh,” said Elizabeth glancing over to Opal, “I would love to, but I’m watching Opal this week since her parents are out of town.”  
“Oh, never mind then,” said Rosemary turning to leave.  
“Rosemary wait!” Elizabeth called and Rosemary turned around, “It is a Friday, so maybe Opal and I can have a special dinner with you,” she shrugged.  
Rosemary smiled, “That would be lovely. And quite frankly, I could probably use the practice of caring for…little people,” said Rosemary.  
“Understood, but rule number one, I wouldn’t call children ‘little people’,” mentioned Elizabeth.  
“Right, of course,” said Rosemary.  
“Alright Opal, how does dinner at Abigail’s sound tonight?” asked Elizabeth crouching down to her level.  
“Is Mrs. Coulter coming with us?” asked Opal looking around Elizabeth to Rosemary.  
“If it’s okay with you, Opal.” Opal nodded excitedly and took Elizabeth’s hand, following her teacher to the café.  
“Can I have a tea party with Brownie after dinner?” asked Opal, looking at Elizabeth with adorable eyes.  
“Um, well…”stuttered Elizabeth and Rosemary chuckled. As stern as Elizabeth could be as a school teacher, she would completely melt around each student individually, “As long as it’s okay with Mrs. Abigail.”  
“Yeah,” Opal cheered as the group of three arrived. It was starting to get crowded since it was a Friday, but Abigail immediately found a place for them towards the back. After dinner: lasagna for Rosemary, Shepherd’s Pie for Elizabeth, and mac and cheese for Opal, Abigail allowed Opal to set up a tea party with Brownie near the kitchen area, though she had only given Opal apple juice, biscuits, and jam.  
“You have fun with Brownie, Opal. Mrs. Coulter and I will be talking to Mrs. Abigail,” said Elizabeth softly.  
“Okay, Ms. Thatcher,” said Opal, happily sipping her apple juice.  
The other two women left to help Abigail and Abigail embraced Elizabeth, “How have you been, Elizabeth? It’s been awhile since we’ve talked,” said Abigail.  
Elizabeth sighed apprehensively, “I just have to take it one day at a time. But it concerns me that he hasn’t written to me in about a month or so. Maybe longer,” Elizabeth frowned.  
“Well, I’m sure he’s busy,” comforted Abigail, knowing it would only half sooth her friend.  
“Yeah probably,” said Elizabeth only slightly reassured.  
“And how about you, Hope Valley’s beautiful mother-to-be?” questioned Abigail, touching Rosemary’s arm.  
“Carson and Faith say everything is going well,” informed Rosemary.  
“Ms. Thatcher?” called Opal to Elizabeth.  
Elizabeth turned to face Opal and found her covered in strawberry jam, “Opal, what happened?” asked Elizabeth rushing over to her.  
“Brownie wanted some strawberry jam,” said Opal.  
Elizabeth attempted to clean her up until Opal accidently put some jam on Elizabeth’s blouse, “Oops, sorry,” she apologized.  
“It’s okay Opal,” said Elizabeth, “Just stay here while I clean up.”  
Abigail chuckled and handed Elizabeth a rag, “Welcome to motherhood, at least temporarily.”  
“Jack and I have talked about children, but we might have to have a little more discussion once he gets home,” said Elizabeth, wiping herself clean, “Do you think you could go clean up Opal enough until I can get her home for a bath?” asked Elizabeth to Rosemary.  
“Um, sure,” Rosemary half-heartedly agreed. She hesitantly walked over to Opal and crouched down in front of her, beginning to wipe her clean, “My, that’s awfully sticky. I don’t want to know what’ll be in baby Coulter’s diapers in a few months.”  
“When are you going to have the baby, Mrs. Coulter?” asked Opal sweetly.  
“Uh, Dr. Shepherd said about a month after Thanksgiving, so mid-November,” answered Rosemary, focusing on the somewhat disgusting task at hand.  
“Is the baby a boy or a girl?” inquired Opal.  
“Um, we won’t know that either until I have the baby,” replied Rosemary. To be honest, she Lee and she hadn’t even come up with a list of possible names.  
“Alright Opal,” said Elizabeth returning to the young girl, much to Rosemary’s relief, “Let’s get you home so you can take a bath to clean off all that jam. Say goodnight to Mrs. Abigail and Mrs. Coulter.”  
“Good night, Mrs. Abigail, good night Mrs. Coulter,” Opal waved and followed Elizabeth. Rosemary forced a smile and waved back before returning home. She heaved a sigh and went upstairs to change for bed. She was already exhausted and she had only spent a few hours with Opal and Elizabeth had cared for her the most in those few hours. What was going to happen when _she_ was dealing with late-night feedings and diaper changes 24/7? The more she thought about it, the more it frightened her. She tried to contain herself, but she just couldn’t stop the tears from spilling loose. She heard her husband enter and he shouted, “Rosie?”  
Rosemary wiped the tears from her eyes and called, “In our room, Lee!”  
Lee entered their room and noticed his wife looked as if she had been crying, “Sweetheart, is everything alright?”  
“No,” she admitted honestly, since Lee could normally tell when she was lying, “I don’t think we’re ready to be parents.”  
Lee looked at her concerned; sure, Rosemary had been nervous about motherhood when she first found out about the pregnancy, but he thought that she had become used to the idea of a little one in the Coulter house, “Um, it’s a little late for that now, isn’t it sweetheart?” he asked in confusion.  
“No it’s not. Once I have the baby, we can give it to Jack and Elizabeth, she’ll know what to do with it,” responded Rosemary.  
Lee changed into his pajamas and crawled under the covers next to Rosie. He stroked her cheek and wiped away a few tears before he asked, “Honey, what happened?”  
Rosemary sighed and wiped away a few more tears, “Well, I went to Abigail’s today for dinner because you had to work late. I went with Elizabeth who’s watching Opal while her parents are out of town. I realized, I don’t know what to do with a child.”  
Lee began to rub her distended stomach and smiled gently, “Rosie, not that you don’t like the town kids, but don’t you think it’ll be different when it’s our baby?”  
“Yeah, it’ll be worse,” she panicked, “Then I REALLY won’t know what to do and I’ll ruin it and it’ll be hard for me because I already love it more than anything in the world,” she spilt and then stopped once she realized what she had said. Lee grinned at her confession, “I mean…”  
Lee scooted closer to her and kissed her temple, “You might be the primary caregiver, but I’m not going to just sit back and let you raise this child alone. It is a combination of both of us. And I’m sure Elizabeth and Abigail will be more than happy to give you advice on handling children if you hit a rough patch.”  
Rosemary rubbed his chest and asked, “How do you always know what to say and why are you so perfect?” Okay, maybe perfect was stretching it, but her husband felt perfect to her at this moment.  
Lee shrugged, “I don’t really know to be honest,” he wondered himself, “I guess because it makes me feel better to know you feel better.”  
The couple stayed silent for a few minutes when Rosemary felt something. It almost felt like someone was drumming inside her abdomen. Her hand drifted down to her tummy when she felt it again; she had been feeling some fluttering in her abdomen the past few weeks, but this time, it was unmistakable. The baby was kicking, “Lee, give me your hand,” she instructed.  
He did as ordered and Rosemary put his hand on her belly and then put her hand over his. Soon, he felt a gentle kick from within, “Is that?” he asked happily.  
“Yeah,” she smiled happily.  
“Wow,” said Lee mesmerized, rubbing his hand over the area, “That’s a person created by you and me frolicking around in there.”  
“Yeah,” she repeated again, suddenly certain that everything was going to be alright.


	6. Preparations

Since most of the preparations for the railroad were in place, Lee had spent the last few weeks using his time at work to start building some of the furniture for the nursery. Jesse and Bill had also been helping since there was still a lot to do in the next few months, “So, how’s Rosie been feeling?” asked Bill helping measure some of the bars.  
“She’s been good. I mean, she’s still nervous, but not nearly as bad when we first found out,” answered Lee, “I think she’s finally gotten used to the idea of having a little Coulter.”   
“Think the baby’s a boy or a girl?” asked Jesse.  
Lee thought about it. He would love either. Sometimes he imagined being able to go outside to play catch with a son, but then also pictured having a daughter, whom he was sure would melt his heart. Though he was a little apprehensive as to what Rosie would be like with a little girl; he knew she would spoil their child either way, but Rosemary having a little mini-me would make her absolutely ecstatic, “I don’t honestly know. I don’t have any gut feelings or any sort of ‘father’s intuition’ hunch. Rosie and I will be thrilled either way.”   
“Well, I think you’ve got a little boy on the way,” stated Bill confidently, “Maybe Hope Valley’s newest Mountie. I know both Elizabeth and Abigail are dying for a little girl.”  
“Is the whole town laying bets on what gender our child is going to be?” asked Lee.  
Jesse and Bill looked at each other and both said, “Pretty much, yeah.”  
Lee shook his head amusingly and decided to take a break for lunch. When he went to look for it, his lunch wasn’t in sight, “Oh, no,” he began to panic.  
The three men heard someone clear her throat and they all found Rosemary standing in the doorway, “Did you forget something this morning?” she asked, holding up Lee’s lunch box.  
“Yes, I did,” he said, coming over to her, taking the lunch from her, and kissing her on the cheek.  
“And to think I’m supposed to be the forgetful one with the pregnancy brain,” she said to him. She glanced around him and noticed the half-finished crib, “Lee, is that…”  
“Oh man,” sighed Lee, “I was going to surprise you with it, but I guess my forgetfulness has ruined that, now hasn’t it?”   
Rosemary walked over to the crib and observed it’s size, “It’s beautiful, but I don’t think I can, and more importantly, sincerely hope I’m not delivering a baby this big,” she said.   
“No, I know that,” said Lee, “I was just making a crib big enough so the little tyke would have room to move around even after he or she gets bigger.”  
“Right,” said Rosemary, only half-relieved, “Well, I have some laundry to finish up, so I’ll see you later tonight.”  
“I can help you after work,” called Lee.  
“I’ll be fine, Lee!” she shouted irritably.   
“Okay then,” said Lee to himself, “Now what was I doing?”   
“I’m sorry to leave you hanging, but I have an important lunch meeting, so I have to get going,” said Bill excusing himself.  
“Thanks for your help Bill,” said Lee.   
Bill nodded, “No problem. Always happy to help.” He left and Jesse sat down next to Lee.   
“So how much longer until the baby gets here?” asked Jesse.  
“About four more months,” answered Lee, “Baby should be here by mid-November.”  
“You nervous?” asked Jesse.  
“Not at all,” lied Lee. Jesse gave him a look as if he didn’t believe him, “Terrified,” he admitted, “I honestly never expected to have kids.”  
“Why not? You’re going to be a terrific father,” said Jesse.  
“Well, when Rosie and I were doing our pre-marital counseling with Pastor Frank before we got married, let’s just say, she was less than thrilled with the idea of children. I figured she had found some way to prevent getting pregnant. Not that we’re not thrilled, but this baby was a huge shock for both of us. A wonderful shock, but a shock none the less. I don’t know, I’ve been so concerned about Rosie, I sometimes wonder, what if I turn out to be the horrible parent?” Jesse nodded his understanding and Lee chuckled lightly, “I’m sorry I’m dumping all of this onto you, I just wanted to tell somebody.”  
“Hey, I get it. It’s a big change for you too. And I get that you’re worried about Mrs. Coulter and all, but I think you should also talk it over with her the way she’s talked about it with you,” said Jesse.   
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just know she’s worried about the baby and how she’ll handling labor and parenthood. I don’t want to put any more stress on her or the baby,” admitted Lee.   
“You’ll be fine, Mr. Coulter,” assured Jesse as he went back to work.   
Later that evening, Lee arrived home to find Rosemary setting the table for dinner, “Hey honey, how was your day? You know, after I left.”  
“It was good,” said Lee. He pondered on how to bring what he had discussed with Jesse up with Rosemary.  
She set a few plates down on the table before she glanced up at him and noticed the worried look in his eyes, “What’s up?”   
He sat down at the table and she placed the food down in front of him, “Nothing, everything’s fine.”  
“Leland Coulter, I know you, and that is not an ‘everything’s fine’ look,” scolded Rosemary lightly.   
Lee rubbed his hands together and said, “Dinner looks delicious,” he said, trying to avoid the conversation for as long as possible.  
“Lee,” warned Rosemary in a tone that told him if he didn’t state what was on his mind soon, he would be seeing a not so happy side of her.  
“Fine,” Lee sighed, finally relenting. He took a deep breath and asked, “Do you think I’ll be a good parent?”   
Rosemary looked at him in astonishment, “Of course I do. If anyone at this table is going to be a bad parent, it’s going to be me.”  
“That’s just it. Before we got married, you weren’t thrilled with the idea of kids, I wanted five,” said Lee, getting up and starting to pace.  
“Well, I still don’t know if I want five…” started Rosemary though her husband hadn’t heard her.  
“And we went a good while without getting pregnant so I just assumed you never wanted them and that you were somehow making sure of that and I had resolved myself to the fact that we were never going to have kids. And now we have little Lee or Rosie Jr. on the way when both of us were least expecting it…”   
“LEE!” shouted Rosemary, stopping her husband in his tracks. He turned to face her and she took a deep breath, “I’m not going to lie, I was attempting to track my cycle to try and hold off for a while, but just because this pregnancy took us by surprise doesn’t mean this baby is unwanted,” said Rosemary, a few tears falling down her cheeks. She sat down on the couch and Lee sat down next to her, a small smile forming on her lips when she felt baby Coulter kick, “The more I think about, the more I’m grateful this happened because if I hadn’t gotten pregnant, then I wouldn’t get to watch you become a wonderful father. The more I picture it, the more I can’t wait for the day when we hold our baby in our arms.” Lee breathed a sigh and rubbed her abdomen, “Honey, why didn’t you tell me all this?”  
“Because, I know you’re so scared and I wanted to be strong for you. I’m the laid back one and you’re the Nervous Nelly in this marriage,” he said.  
Rosemary smacked his chest jokingly and glared, “Lee!”   
He laughed a little, “And I guess with so much on your mind, I didn’t want to bother you. I mean, you’re the one whose body is changing to accommodate him or her, you’re the one who’s dealt with the morning sickness and backaches and mood swings, you’re the one who has to bring him or her into the world…”  
“Yes that might all be true, but we’re both in this marriage and journey to parenthood together. Isn’t that what marriage is for? To bother each other, ‘til death do us part?”  
Lee laid his hand on his wife’s abdomen and smiled when he received a not-so-gentle kick, “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he stroked the home of his unborn child as he or she frolicked around underneath his hand, “You know, you should go back to writing that advice column.”  
Rosemary smiled and laughed, “I think I’ll have enough on my plate in another few months. But I’m looking forward to it.”  
“Yeah, me too,” said Lee.


	7. Names

“How about Barnabas for a boy?” asked Lee as he wrote the name down on the list of possible names for a boy.  
Rosemary smacked his chest and said, “Leland James Coulter, do you want our baby to get beaten up on the playground?” asked Rosemary in shock.  
“He wouldn’t get beaten up. Elizabeth wouldn’t allow it,” smirked Lee.  
“Maybe not, but he’d still get laughed at,” scolded Rosemary as she took a sip of tea.  
“Alright, so not Barnabas,” said Lee, scratching the name off of the list.  
“What about…?” started Rosemary hesitantly, “What about Patrick for a boy?”  
Lee sighed. He knew why Rosemary had brought up that name and he knew she was trying to find a way to honor his brother, “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I miss Patrick every day, but I kind of want our baby to have his own name should it be a boy.”  
Rosemary nodded. It was worth a shot, “What about Aaron?”  
“Aaron?” questioned Lee. He kind of liked the name.  
“It means enlightened,” said Rosemary.  
“Alright, Aaron what?” asked Lee writing it down and then circling the name.  
“Hm. I’ve always liked the name Joseph,” admitted Rosemary.  
“Aaron Joseph Coulter. Doesn’t really flow,” said Lee, “What about Jacob?”  
“Aaron Jacob Coulter, yeah, I really like that name,” said Rosemary, “Now for a girl name…”  
“Oh boy,” sighed Lee jokingly.  
“Problems?” asked Rosemary raising an eyebrow.  
“You’ll probably give her some extravagant, theatrical name of some kind,” he smirked.  
“Oh I wasn’t going to give our baby a theatrical name,” said Rosemary, though Lee could tell she was lying, “Elsie,” Rosemary admitted.  
“Elsie?” questioned Lee.  
“Yes, Elsie, after a character in The Spring Maid. I don’t know I’ve always liked the name,” Rosemary admitted: “I’ve also always loved the name Adelaide.”  
Lee cleared his throat and said, “Not that those names aren’t lovely names sweetheart, but I was thinking something simpler with a little more meaning.”  
“Well, what do you have in mind?” asked Rosemary crossing her arms over her chest.  
“Lillian,” responded Lee.  
“Lillian,” Rosemary whispered softly, absorbing Lee’s suggestion.  
“It can be shortened to Lilly, it means flower, and the name symbolizes purity and innocence,” said Lee rubbing Rosemary’s cheek lovingly, “And since your name is Rosemary, also a flower name, I thought it would be appropriate for a little girl to be our little flower.”  
“Lillian,” Rosemary whispered again. A few tears formed in her eyes; curse the hormones, “I love it,” she said and kissed him.  
“Good,” he smiled, “What about a middle name?”  
Rosemary sighed, “I don’t know, to be honest.”  
“Well maybe we can decide on that later,” said Lee, “Tonight, I want to take my beautiful wife out on a date.”  
“Date? To where?” asked Rosemary.  
“Well, I was thinking, maybe we could go into the city tonight. Dr. Shepherd says you’ll be ready to deliver in another two months approximately, so who knows when we’ll be able to have a romantic evening just the two of us."  
“Oh Lee, are you sure?” she asked grabbing his hand.  
“I’m always sure when it comes to you,” he assured her, “Now let’s go change so I can take you to a nice dinner.”  
Rosemary smiled as she followed her husband upstairs. He always knew how to make her feel like the most beautiful and special woman in the world, despite feeling anything but stunning at this time in her life. They decided to go to downtown Calgary since that was the closest major city to Hope Valley. Once they were on the road, Rosemary stayed fairly quiet which was abnormal for her, “Lee, can I ask you a question?”  
“Sure, anything,” he said still focused on the road.  
“Well, it’s not as much a question as it is a statement. We’ve discussed all the happy stuff about this baby, but we haven’t really talked about the not so happy stuff,” said Rosemary, a nervous breath escaping her.  
Lee scowled and asked, “What do you mean sweetheart?”  
Rosemary rubbed her abdomen absentmindedly where baby Coulter was moving around some more. She let out a sigh, “I mean, women…die in childbirth Lee…”  
“Rosemary, no,” said Lee firmly and took her hand.  
“But it does happen Lee,” she said.  
“Rosie, I know. I’ve actually had that conversation with Dr. Shepherd myself,” he admitted with a few tears in his eyes.  
“Well, why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.  
“Because I know you’re nervous enough as it is. I didn’t want to worry you any further. And quite frankly…the thought of losing you or the baby is a bridge I don’t really want to cross unless I have to,” he admitted.  
Rosemary nodded. She didn’t want to think about it at all either as she figured she was going to make everyone around her as miserable as she would be feeling in another few months. Once they arrived at the restaurant, Rosemary had forgotten all about her worries, at least temporarily, “Oh Lee, this place is gorgeous.”  
“Only the best for my lady,” he smiled and kissed her on the cheek. The hostesses seated them and Lee started looking over the menu, “What I wouldn’t give for a nice juicy steak.”  
Rosemary chuckled lightly, “And to think I’m the one with strange cravings.”  
“Honestly, me too,” admitted Lee.  
“Really?” asked Rosemary raising her eyebrows amusingly.  
“Yes, yes, I’ll admit I’ve been experiencing that thing where men can have the same symptoms as their wives; it’s been happening to me,” he said embarrassingly.  
Rosemary giggled a little and said, “Well, I’ll have to make sure your belly doesn’t grow in the next few months,” she winked at him.  
“Ready to order?” asked the waitress.  
“Filet mignon for me,” answered Lee.  
“Chicken pot pie, please,” said Rosemary.  
The waitress nodded and disappeared. When their food arrived, Lee happily dug into his steak, “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting this.” Rosemary glanced up at Lee with an amused look, “Okay, maybe you do know.”  
Rosemary grinned deviously, “Good, now you won’t deny me anything I want.”  
“Oh no,” said Lee worriedly, a hint of amusement in his voice, “What did you want now?”  
“I saw a strawberry cheesecake on the menu that looked good,” she informed.  
“Alright,” succumbed Lee, wanting to make Rosemary feel as special as possible.  
Rosemary smiled proudly, “Thank you sweetheart.”  
“Anything for you,” beamed Lee. After they had dessert, strawberry cheesecake for Rosemary and a simple apple cobbler for Lee, Lee paid for the meal and the couple hit the road for the hour drive back to Hope Valley. Once they arrived home, they changed into their pajamas and climbed into bed.  
Rosemary snuggled next to Lee and stroked his chest when she said out of the blue, “Naomi.”  
“Naomi? What?” asked a confused Lee.  
“A middle name for a baby girl, Naomi,” clarified Rosemary.  
“Why Naomi, sweetheart?” asked Lee, rubbing soothing circles over her abdomen.  
“Because the restaurant we went to was called Naomi’s. And I want to remember this night forever. So what do you say babe?” she questioned.  
Lee crouched down and kissed her belly and then kissed her temple, “Alright, if it’s a girl, Lillian Naomi Coulter it is.”


	8. Shower

It was early October and Rosemary only had five more weeks until she was due to have the baby. The air was crisp, the leaves on the trees were bright orange, red, and yellow, and the town was abuzz with pre-Thanksgiving preparations. Abigail was planning on having a town-wide celebration with a dinner at the café and Elizabeth was helping the school children prepare for a short play on Thanksgiving in Canada. One morning, as Rosemary and Elizabeth were making some of the decorations at Elizabeth’s house, Elizabeth causally asked, “Oh Rosemary, I was wondering, could you stop by Abigail’s house this Saturday?”   
Rosemary thought about it for a moment. She didn’t have any plans that weekend, “Of course, why?” she asked.  
Elizabeth shrugged, “No reason,” she answered though Rosemary could tell by Elizabeth’s smirk that she was lying.  
“Should I bring Lee with me?” asked Rosemary.  
Elizabeth shook her head, “No, just yourself. I have the feeling Lee might have other plans this weekend.”  
Rosemary gave Elizabeth a skeptical look but accepted the invitation. Later that night, when Rosemary arrived home, Lee was on the couch reading. She tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up at her, “Hey honey.”  
“Hi,” she smiled as she leaned over and kissed him.  
“How was your day?” he asked as he closed his book and got up off of the couch.  
“Good, but strange,” she admitted.  
“How’s the little one?” asked Lee rubbing her abdomen.  
“Fine,” she said as the baby kicked, “She says she loves you.”   
Lee rolled his eyes playfully and said, “Yes, I also love _him_ very much,” he kissed her swelling belly, “So what was strange about your day?”  
Rosemary shrugged, “Elizabeth invited me over to Abigail’s house on Saturday, but she wouldn’t say what it was.”  
“Hm. Weird. Bill wants me to go over to the saloon on Saturday at noon,” said Lee.  
“So Elizabeth was right,” whispered Rosemary to herself.  
“What do you mean?” asked Lee.  
“She mentioned something about having the feeling that you would have plans this weekend when I asked her if I should bring you,” responded Rosemary.  
Lee chuckled lightly, “I have the feeling Hope Valley has been planning something behind our backs.”  
“I wonder what?” smirked Rosemary.  
“Well, I guess we’ll both find out on Saturday,” said Lee, “Right little guy?” he asked to the home of unborn child.   
“Well it kicked, so I guess the baby agrees,” she answered.  
“Not it, _he_ ,” Lee emphasized.   
Rosemary huffed playfully and answered, “Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”  
“Yeah, we will,” said Lee happily.   
Once Saturday came, the young couple woke up bright and early and decided to have breakfast at Abigail’s Café before their mystery events that afternoon. Abigail greeted them almost immediately, “Good morning Rosemary. How are you?” asked Abigail, embracing the expectant mother.   
“Alright,” sighed Rosemary and then yawned, “Tired. It isn’t easy to sleep with this on the front of you,” she chuckled, rubbing her protruding abdomen for emphasis.   
“But it will be worth it. Trust me,” Abigail said patting Rosemary’s shoulder, “Lee,” she nodded and hugged him as well.  
“Abigail,” he replied and she found them a seat.   
“So, you’re still coming by my house this afternoon correct?” asked Abigail for confirmation.  
“Yes ma’am,” responded Rosemary.  
“Good,” said Abigail, walking away with a twinkle in her eye.  
Rosemary leaned in and motioned for her husband to lean closer to her, “I wonder what they’re all up to today?”   
“I don’t know,” Lee replied honestly, “But I’m being optimistic and guessing it’s something good.”  
Rosemary visibly relaxed as Abigail brought them some coffee and scones. At exactly noon on the dot, Rosemary made her way over to Abigail’s house as Lee left for the saloon. Rosemary was overtaken with shock as Abigail opened the front door, “SURPRISE!” all of the town women shouted. Even a few of the young girls were there. A ‘Welcome Baby Coulter’ sign was hanging on the wall and there was food and gifts set out on the tables. Rosemary’s hormones got the best of her once again and she began to break down in tears, “Did we do something wrong, Mrs. Coulter?” asked Opal in concern.   
“No, Opal, sometimes I cry because I’m so happy,” said Rosemary hugging the young girl, “How have you all managed to plan all of this?”  
“Well we’ve had secret meetings before or after school sometimes,” admitted Elizabeth.  
“That’s very sweet, but I thought these baby shower things were supposed to be held after I have the baby,” said Rosemary.  
“It’s not a baby shower. It’s a celebration of your impending arrival,” clarified Elizabeth. Rosemary raised her eyebrows at the young teacher and Elizabeth sighed, “Alright, it’s a baby shower.”   
Rosemary couldn’t help but smile, “Well thank you all. I really appreciate it,” she said, hugging the other women.  
“Hey, that’s what Hope Valley is all about,” said Molly.   
“So we have tea and a few gifts for our mother-to-be,” said Abigail cheerily, “So everyone help themselves and we can get started.”  
“Oh look at all of these sweets,” said Rosemary, eagerly filling her plate, “I love you all so far.”   
“I take it you’re still craving sweets then,” chuckled Elizabeth watching her friend help herself to some cookies.  
“Oh yes,” answered Rosemary now adding a few brownies to the mix.   
“According to some wives’ tales, that means it’s a girl,” said Clara.  
“Oh, I’ve been craving other things besides sweets. Sometimes I’ve also wanted things like pickles or red meat,” said Rosemary.  
“Then that means it’s a boy,” said Florence to Clara.   
“Come on, don’t tell me you all believe those wives’ tales do you?” asked Abigail amusingly.   
“Doesn’t hurt to guess,” said Molly.   
Rosemary sat down and said, “I know all of those old wives’ tales. Well I’ve craved all sorts of sweets, I had a lot of morning sickness, and I’m carrying high…”  
“All of those things point to a girl,” said Clara.  
“But,” emphasized Rosemary, “I’ve also had my fair share of cravings for red meat and Lee is, shall I say, feeling pregnant right along with me.”   
The other women chuckled, “The latter which points to a boy,” said Molly.   
“And also, poor Lee, I’ve dealt with a lot of mood swings,” sighed Rosemary only half-jokingly.  
“They claim that means it’s a girl, I just call that being pregnant,” smirked Abigail taking a bite of cake. The women enjoyed exchanging stories of pregnancy and motherhood as well as giving Rosemary some parenting advice before they all decided to open presents. They all oohed and aahed over the plethora of toys, bibs, clothes, and bottles Rosemary received.   
Emily gave Rosemary a baby blanket Elizabeth had helped the school children make and Opal handed her a small box, “For the baby.”  
Rosemary opened the box and found a stuffed bear that looked exactly like Brownie, “Opal, are you sure you want me to have him?”  
“Of course, that way Brownie Jr. can come over and play with Brownie when the baby is old enough,” said Opal proudly holding up Brownie.  
Elizabeth chuckled and rubbed the young girl’s head, “She wanted the baby to have Brownie but wasn’t quite ready to give him up, so I told her that getting a second one would be a good compromise.”  
“Oh,” Rosemary chuckled, “Well, I’m sure Brownie Jr. would love to come over and play with Brownie.”  
“Really?” asked Opal excitedly.  
“Really,” answered Rosemary then groaned when she felt a jab in her kidney.   
“Are you aright, Rosemary?” asked Florence concerned.  
“Yeah, just kicking,” responded Rosemary.  
“Can we feel it?” asked Emily hopefully.  
“Emily,” scolded Elizabeth.  
“No, that’s okay,” said Rosemary. Emily, Opal, and a few of the other girls came over and Rosemary placed their hands to where the baby was kicking. After the party was over, Abigail, Molly, Florence, and Clara started to clean up while Elizabeth waited for the children’s parents to pick them up from Abigail’s house.   
“You’re a natural you know,” commented Elizabeth.  
“What?” asked Rosemary confused.  
“You were worried that you wouldn’t be a good mother, but today proved otherwise,” said Elizabeth.  
“I guess,” said Rosemary.  
“Have you picked out names yet?” asked Elizabeth.  
“Yes, but Lee and I want to wait until I have the baby to announce the name, whichever name it will be,” said Rosemary.  
“And if you want me there, I will help you from the moment you go into labor,” said Elizabeth softly.  
Rosemary looked at her skeptically, “I do want you there, but you do realize I could go into labor at three o’clock in the morning, right?”   
Elizabeth laughed lightly, “Yes, I do realize that. Just figure Lee will need all the help he can get.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Rosemary.  
“I mean…” Elizabeth stuttered, her face falling. Why on Earth did she say that?  
Rosemary smirked, “I know what you meant. I know myself; I’m not exactly going to be a ray of sunshine. And I thought men weren’t really allowed in the room?”  
“No they’re not usually,” confirmed Elizabeth, “But I don’t know, Lee doesn’t seem like the person who’d leave your side.”   
“Guess we’ll see,” said Rosemary and smiled when the baby kicked her again, “Give me your hand.”  
Elizabeth promptly obeyed, smiling when she felt a kick against her palm. She silently longed for the moment Jack was back home so they could start their life and family together. But somehow, she felt it wouldn’t be much longer before Jack’s return as well as baby Coulter’s arrival.


	9. Thanksgiving

The following Monday, Hope Valley all gathered at Abigail’s for the big Thanksgiving dinner. There was a lot of fellowship, celebration, and, of course, food. The children were outside playing games, the adults were cooking and conversing, and of course Rosemary was more than happy to chaperone the dessert table, “I swear you’re having a little girl,” chuckled Elizabeth as she watched her expectant friend sneak yet another cookie.   
“You think or you hope?” she smirked taking a bite of a chocolate chip cookie she had found.  
Elizabeth shook with laughter, “Both.”   
“Hey, Elizabeth, do you think you could start to set out some of the plates and silverware for me? The food is almost done and Frank will be over from the church any minute,” informed Abigail.  
“Of course,” said Elizabeth.  
“I can help. It’ll go by faster,” said Rosemary.  
“Rosemary,” scolded Abigail lightly.  
“What?” asked Rosemary, crossing her arms over her chest.  
“You really should be resting,” said Abigail, mimicking her.  
“Abigail, it’s just setting the table. I’m not going out to run a marathon,” said Rosemary.   
“Alright,” Abigail surrendered.   
Rosemary huffed a little as the older woman walked away and she grabbed a handful of plates, “Sometimes Abigail and my husband have a lot in common,” said Rosemary.   
“They’re both just worried about you,” said Elizabeth as she started to set down plates, “You are a month away from giving birth.”   
“Yes, and I can’t wait until I do. Then the whole town will stop treating me like I’m a fragile, China doll,” said Rosemary setting the glasses and silverware behind Elizabeth.   
“Ladies,” smiled Lee, kissing Rosemary on the cheek, “Happy Thanksgiving, Elizabeth,” he greeted.  
“Same to you, Lee,” said Elizabeth, “So the big day is coming up soon. How are you both feeling?”  
“Excited, nervous, pretty much every emotion under the sun,” chuckled Rosemary anxiously.  
“She’s been cleaning the whole house for the past few weeks,” said Lee.  
Elizabeth laughed lightly and said, “Well, I’m not an expert on childbearing, but I believe that’s called nesting.”  
“Well, then she’s nested the whole house multiple times,” said Lee wrapping his arm around Rosemary only to receive a light jab in his ribs.  
“I just want everything to be perfect before his or her arrival,” she reprimanded lightly.   
“Afternoon everyone,” announced Frank as he walked into the café, “Happy Thanksgiving!”  
“Happy Thanksgiving,” everyone chorused. Abigail walked over to him and gave him a quick embrace.   
“Well, the food is ready, the table is set, I’d say we should get everything set up and eat,” she proclaimed happily. Everyone smiled as everybody minus Rosemary and the children helped set out the food and then gathered around the table. Abigail and Frank sat at both ends of the table.  
Everyone held hands as Frank began the prayer, “Dear Lord, we gather this evening as we celebrate and thank You for all that we have. We ask You to bless this food and the hands that prepared it. We ask that You keep watch over Constable Jack Thornton as Hope Valley awaits his safe return home,” Rosemary squeezed Elizabeth’s hand, “We ask that You watch over Lee and Rosemary as they await the arrival of their newest addition and we pray for a smooth, relatively pain-free delivery for both mother and child,” Rosemary glanced over at Lee and gave a small, apprehensive smile, “We ask all of this in Your Son’s Holy name.”  
“AMEN!” everyone affirmed.   
“Let’s eat!” said Abigail happily.  
Everyone began to pass the dishes around the table, “We better watch out for Mrs. Coulter since she has to eat for two,” said Jesse.  
“Oh Jesse,” scolded Rosemary playfully.   
“It’s the dessert table we have to watch carefully,” smirked Elizabeth.  
“Okay, that one’s true,” agreed Rosemary pointing to Elizabeth.   
Everyone enjoyed the evening dinner and also the conversations that accompanied it. Many of the residents were curious about Jack’s whereabouts as well as the progress of Rosemary’s pregnancy. Baby Coulter decided tonight was a good night to do a lot of kicking for his or her fellow Hope Valley citizens, so Rosemary let many of her friends feel the baby’s movements inside of her. Later that night, after everyone had gone home, Rosemary went upstairs and glanced around now furnished nursery. There was a crib, a changing table, a dresser, and a rocking chair, all built and painted by Lee, Jesse, Bill, and even Gowen along with a few of the other men in Hope Valley. The walls were painted a pale mint-green since they didn’t know the sex of the baby. There were drawers full of baby clothes along with a box full of toys. Brownie Jr. was placed in the crib and the handmade baby blanket was draped over the railing. Rosemary couldn’t wait until her son or daughter was sleeping here, though they both had decided it would be best if their baby slept in a bassinet in their room for the first few months until everyone adjusted to their new routine. Rosemary smiled before she left the room and went down the hall to the master bedroom where Lee was reviewing some finances at the saw mill. She crawled under the covers next to him and wrapped her hands around his arm. He kissed her temple but stayed silent for a few more moments as he did the math. Once he was finished, he placed the paperwork on the desk before sliding back into bed next to his wife, “You all did a wonderful job on the nursery,” she commented.  
Lee smiled, “Well, you did the designing. We just made it happen.”   
Rosemary stroked her abdomen, thinking about the near fully formed baby within, “It won’t be much longer before it’s time,” she laughed anxiously.   
Lee took a deep breath, a nervous but excited feeling rising in the pit of his stomach, “No it won’t.”   
“I want you there when it happens,” she commented casually.  
Lee kissed the top of her head and buried his nose in her hair, “I won’t be going anywhere.”


	10. Birth

November 3, 1914…  
“Lee, LEE!” whispered a desperate Rosemary.  
“Hm?” questioned Lee, fighting sleep.  
“Leland James Coulter, I need you to get Pastor Frank now!” Rosemary demanded.  
Lee’s eyes shot open and he rolled over to face his wife, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked rubbing his eyes.  
“I think I’m dying,” Rosemary said through gritted teeth, obviously uncomfortable.  
_“Oh no,”_ Lee thought, beginning to panic. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and asked, “Rosemary, where is your pain?”  
“In my back,” she answered, “And it radiates around to my belly every so often, but it stays constant in my back. I think I might be exploding.”  
_“Okay Leland Coulter, don’t panic,”_ he told himself. He massaged her shoulder, “Okay, sweetheart. How long have you been having pain?”  
“I don’t know! For a few hours,” she answered agitated.  
“Have you felt like you’ve wet yourself?” he asked. She started taking a few deep breaths and shook her head, _“Okay, so her water hasn’t broken yet. I have time to get help.”_  
She squeezed his hand and shouted, “Please just get Pastor Frank!”  
Lee smirked but made sure Rosemary didn’t see it, “I promise I’m getting you help, Rosie.” He quickly put on his coat and made his way next door over to Elizabeth’s house. He pounded on the door fairly loudly so Elizabeth would hear him upstairs. A few moments later, Elizabeth answered the door, but with a baseball bat in her hands, causing Lee to have a heart attack, “What the heck, Elizabeth?!”  
“Oh Lee, it’s you. I’m so sorry I thought you were an intruder,” said Elizabeth, setting the bat down by the door, “Just be thankful it wasn’t Jack, or else you would’ve been facing something much more substantial than a baseball bat.”  
“Yeah, of course,” said Lee, “Elizabeth, listen I need you to get Abigail and Faith at the very least, possibly Carson also, and have you all meet at our house,” he instructed.  
“Why, what’s wrong?” asked Elizabeth worriedly.  
“I think Rosie’s in labor,” he said, a small smile forming on his face.  
“Oh Lee,” said Elizabeth quickly embracing him, “Go back to her, I’ll wake the others.”  
“Thanks, I can’t stay too long or Rosie will go looking for Pastor Frank herself,” said Lee.  
“Pastor Frank? Why?” asked Elizabeth in confusion.  
“She’s convinced she’s dying,” said Lee.  
Elizabeth chuckled lightly and said, “Good old Rosemary. Always has a flair for the dramatic.”  
“Thanks again, Elizabeth,” said Lee running back home. Elizabeth proceeded to get dressed and awoke Abigail, Faith, and Carson before they all arrived at the Coulter house. They quietly went upstairs and Elizabeth knocked on the bedroom door, “Come in,” called Lee.  
The group of four entered room and Rosemary turned to Lee, “Lee, none of them are Pastor Frank!”  
Faith crouched down in front of Rosemary and grabbed the hand Lee wasn’t currently holding. She softly said, “Rosemary, I promise you, you’re not dying. Your baby is coming to meet you.”  
Rosemary nodded and choked back a few tears, “Okay.” She threw her legs over the side of the bed and announced, “I think I want to walk around.”  
“Aren’t you supposed to stay in bed?” asked Lee worried.  
“Actually it’ll be good for her to walk around some,” informed Carson.  
“Yeah, and it’ll give us some space to set up the room for the delivery,” said Faith.  
Lee nodded and helped Rosemary out of bed, Abigail taking her other hand. The two of them and Elizabeth helped Rosemary walk around, stopping every ten minutes or so to help Rosemary through a contraction. After about an hour of walking, Rosemary stopped suddenly when she felt something running down her legs, “Uh, Lee,” she said.  
“Yes? What do you need?” he asked grabbing her hand, ready to provide whatever she needed.  
“I think my water just broke,” she stated.  
“Oh,” said Lee, looking down towards the floor.  
“I can go get towels and another nightgown for her,” said Elizabeth.  
“Thank you,” nodded Lee gratefully.  
After Rosemary’s water broke, her pains increased so she went back to their bed, spending most of the time screaming at Lee for putting her in her current condition or using strings of words Lee didn’t even know were in her vocabulary. Faith finally checked her dilation, “She’s at around five centimeters,” she told everyone.  
Another contraction started and she grabbed Lee’s hand. Lee started helping her breath the way Abigail and Faith had taught him a few weeks ago, “Deep breath Rosie,” he coached.  
“LELAND COULTER, IF YOU TELL ME TO BREATH ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR I’M GOING TO STRANGLE YOU!” she shouted. Lee just nodded and squeezed her hand. He knew not to take any of Rosie’s threats personally, but it still stung a little. Whenever Lee was in pain, he always pushed through it. Even when he was a child, if he fell outside or burned himself helping in the kitchen, he just took a deep breath and moved on. But seeing others in pain was a different story. And now, to see the woman he loved and cared for unconditionally in so much pain knowing he was partly responsible for her current agony, no matter how minuscule, broke his heart. Then another thought hit him: the conversation he had refused to have about if she died in childbirth. Rosemary had been convinced she was dying. And it was _her_ body. Maybe she really _was_ dying and this is what it looked like. Was he losing her? Finally, watching her pain stricken face and hearing her wails of suffering became too much for him. He got up and kissed her forehead, “I’ll be right back, honey,” he informed before he left the room.  
Rosemary watched her husband leave the room and turned to the other women, “Where is he going?” she asked in a panic.  
“I’m sure he just needs to go the bathroom or get a quick snack,” comforted Elizabeth, “He’ll be back soon.”  
Rosemary nodded and yelled out when another pain squeezed her middle and radiated down her thighs. Meanwhile, Abigail got up from her place in the room and went downstairs to find Lee pacing the living room, “Lee, what’s wrong?” she asked in concern.  
“I can’t be in there anymore, Abigail. Men aren’t supposed to be present for these things and now I see why,” vented Lee, “My wife now hates me. Also, a few months ago, Rosie wanted me to have a conversation just in case she didn’t make it through the birth and I refused to have it and now she could be dying. She was convinced she was dying this morning…”  
“Lee,” said Abigail firmly stopping his movements, “Your wife does not hate you, because that’s not your wife in there, metaphorically speaking. As a woman who’s given birth before, I can promise you anything Rosemary says or does right now is because of the pain, not because of anyone in the room. And she’s not dying. Dr. Shepherd and Faith are monitoring her. What you’re seeing is just the natural intensity of labor. Now she needs you, Lee. She’s wondering where you went.”  
Lee took a deep breath and scrubbed his face, “Okay,” he sighed, “I’m okay,” he whispered to himself. He reentered the room and smiled to himself when he saw Rosemary. Even in the midst of childbirth, Rosemary LeVeaux-Coulter was still the prettiest woman he had ever laid eyes on in his life. He sat down next to her and rubbed her head as she tried to sleep in between contractions, “I’m here sweetheart, I’m right here.”  
“It hurts, Lee,” she moaned.  
He looked up at Faith and Carson, “Is there anything you can give her for the pain?” he asked softly.  
Carson and Faith looked at each other, “Well, in Europe, they have been experimenting with chloroform in childbirth,” said Carson hesitantly, “It does have some risks, like comas or adverse effects for the baby, but I could administer a lighter dose than I use for surgeries. It would be just enough to take the edge off the pain.”  
Lee had Rosemary look at him and she looked over at Carson, “Worth a shot,” she consented.  
“Okay,” said Carson, “I’ll go get everything from the clinic,” he informed Faith.  
Carson couldn’t have returned fast enough for Lee or Rosemary. Lee wanted nothing more than to take over and relieve Rosemary of her anguish, even if it was only temporarily. Carson had Rosemary lie on her back and put the mask on her. He administered a fairly light dose of chloroform, much lighter than he usually gave a patient, but it seemed to help relax Rosemary. She was still in pain and she was still moaning loudly during contractions but she at least was no longer screaming at Lee and could relax in between surges.  
Rosemary went back to lying on her side, since it got some of the burden off of her back and Elizabeth or Abigail could provide counter-pressure during contractions, “Just think, Lee, our baby’s almost here,” said Rosemary with tears in her eyes.  
Lee chuckled lightly, “Yeah,” he answered and then his face fell, the reality hitting him like a ton of bricks. Rosemary Coulter was having a baby. HIS baby. He was about to become a father. Rosemary’s loud breathing and groaning brought him back to reality quickly. “It’s okay, Rosie. Just keep taking long, slow breaths.”  
Rosemary nodded, but soon her eyes widened and she rolled onto her back, her instincts immediately taking over, “Carson, Faith, I think it’s coming. I feel like I have to push.”  
A twinge of excitement built up inside Lee and small smile spread across his face.  
“Alright then, Rosemary, let’s check your dilation,” said Carson, “Well, would you look at that? You’re fully dilated. You can start pushing when you have your next contraction.”  
Rosemary rolled her eyes at Carson and said, “I think I just said that.”  
“If you both could hold her legs back, it’ll help us,” Faith told Abigail and Elizabeth. They nodded and did as instructed. Lee sat down on the bed behind Rosemary and she leaned against him, taking his hand in hers.  
“Carson, I’m having a contraction, I can’t wait any longer,” Rosemary struggled to breath.  
“Alright Rosemary,” said Carson positioning himself at the end of the bed, “Push down hard!” he coached.  
Rosemary screamed and squeezed Lee’s hand as she pushed, her husband counting out loud to guide her efforts. Rosemary pushed during contractions and Faith fed her ice chips and dabbed her forehead with a cool wash cloth during her periods of rest. After about 45 minutes of pushing, Carson announced that the head was just becoming visible, “You should start crowning on your next contraction. I need you to pant and blow as the baby’s head eases out. Okay?”  
Rosemary nodded and replied, “Okay.” Faith grabbed a few towels to catch the baby.  
“Alright, Rosemary, short pants for me,” coached Carson. Lee, Abigail, and Elizabeth encouraged Rosemary to copy them.  
“I can’t do this anymore!” cried Rosemary.  
“Yes you can, Rosie. Our baby will be in your arms soon,” soothed Lee.  
Rosemary gave a loud yelp as she pushed the head out, “Good job, Rosie,” encouraged Faith, “The head’s out.”  
“Next contraction, you’ll have a baby,” stated Carson. Once Rosemary had her next contraction, she yelled out as her baby was born. Carson smiled as he cradled the baby, “Here she is!”  
“You have a little girl!” announced Faith as Carson placed the baby on Rosemary’s chest and Faith laid a towel over her.  
“It’s a girl, Rosie,” Lee cried as he wiped a few tears from his eyes and stroked his daughter’s head, “We have a daughter!”  
“Hi sweetheart,” exclaimed Rosemary, “Ah Lee, she’s beautiful!” Rosemary sighed, tearily gazing at her newborn daughter with pride.  
“So, what’s her name?” asked Abigail.  
Rosemary smiled and said, “Lillian. Lillian Naomi,” she answered rubbing her back.  
“Well, welcome to the world, Lillian Naomi Coulter,” smiled Elizabeth.  
“Oh Elizabeth,” said Lee and Elizabeth looked at him, “We want you and Jack to be the Godparents.”  
“What? Really?” asked Elizabeth.  
“Positive,” confirmed Rosemary.  
Elizabeth chuckled happily and said, “Well, I’d be honored.”  
Faith clamped the cord and held out the scissors to Lee, “Did you want to do the honors Daddy?”  
“Um, sure,” said Lee uncertainly. He cut the cord and handed the scissors back to Faith.  
“We’ll leave you alone for a few minutes and then we’ll help you with the afterbirth,” Faith said patting Rosemary’s shoulder.  
Rosemary nodded and everyone left the room momentarily. The couple watched on as their daughter laid against Rosemary’s chest, her bright green eyes now observing her new surroundings, “Oh Lee, look at what we brought into this world. We made this little one together with our love.”  
Lee kissed the top of Rosemary’s head and rubbed his daughter’s cheek, “You did a good job sweetheart. Really good job,” he said as he let the tears finally escape, “Thank you for giving me a beautiful baby girl.”  
She looked up at him and smiled, a few tears falling down her cheeks, “And thank you for helping me make this the greatest day of my life.” She kissed him passionately as Lillian started to fuss and root out of hunger, Lee having triggered her instincts. Rosemary helped guide Lillian to her breast and soon she latched on for nourishment, “There you go, Lilly.”  
Lee kissed Rosemary’s temple once more as he watched his baby girl nurse, “I love you Rosemary Grace Coulter. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift on Earth.”  
Rosemary kissed him and responded, “I love you Leland James Coulter. I couldn’t be more thankful for you both.”


	11. The Coulters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a tidbit for my American readers, I have Lilly weighing 8 lbs., 13 oz. and measuring 21 in. long. For my non-American readers, I tried my best with the conversions. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

It wasn’t long until Rosemary started having contractions again, so Lee let Carson know that she was ready to deliver the placenta. Rosemary handed Lillian to Lee and cooed, “Go to Daddy, sweetheart.”   
“We’ll be next door examining her,” said Faith.  
Rosemary nodded and Lee carried Lillian down the hall to the nursery. He placed her on the changing table where Faith checked breathing and circulation, “Respiration and heart rate are strong,” she informed. Lee aided her in wrapping Lillian in a blanket and Faith attached the device to weigh her, “4 kg,” she announced. She measured her length, “53 cm long.”   
“Wow, healthy little girl aren’t you?” asked Lee rubbing his daughter’s chest.   
“Don’t worry, that’s in the normal range,” Faith assured him. She put a diaper on Lillian and swaddled her with the light cream blanket before cradling her, “Now that that’s all done, we can take you back to Mommy.”   
Carson came out of the room just as Lee and Faith arrived, “Everything’s all done. No excessive bleeding and Rosemary’s alert, not showing any negative side effects from the chloroform.”   
“Good,” said Faith and they entered the room, “Alright baby girl, back to your Mommy.”   
“Come here, Lilly,” smiled Rosemary, rocking her daughter in her arms, “Everything’s okay?”  
“Yes, 4 kg, 53 cm long,” assured Lee.   
“Ouch, now I’m in pain all over again,” she smirked.  
“It’s all over now though,” consoled Lee.   
“Can I hold her?” asked Elizabeth eagerly.  
“Of course,” said Rosemary, “Go say ‘Hi’ to Auntie Elizabeth.”  
Elizabeth carefully took the infant from Rosemary and smiled as Lillian's bright green orbs met her blue ones. Elizabeth couldn’t help but wonder if she would be holding her’s and Jack’s child in the near future, “She’s beautiful guys,” Elizabeth admired.  
“We did make an adorable baby, didn’t we honey?” asked Rosemary looking up at Lee.  
Lee chuckled and kissed her temple, “We certainly did.”  
Elizabeth passed the baby to Abigail who happily rocked the baby for a few moments, “Hi Lillian, as mayor, I’d like to officially welcome you to Hope Valley,” she cooed happily. Rosemary leaned back against Lee and closed her eyes. She was exhausted after 16 hours of labor. Abigail handed the baby back to Rosemary and patted her knee, “Well, I’m sure you’re both tired and want to have some time to rest, so we’ll let you both be.”  
“Yes, I’m sure we can tell Florence and Molly of Lilly’s arrival and then they’ll tell everyone else for us,” chuckled Elizabeth.   
Rosemary and Lee nodded as the two other women left the room. Lee laid down on the bed next to his wife and continued to gaze at Lillian. He sighed and cuddled next to his two girls. Somehow at this moment, he felt at peace with his family all safe and sound, Rosemary slowly drifting off to sleep with Lillian in her arms. Lee heard her breathing softly. He glanced over and realized she had fallen asleep, so he took Lillian from her arms and went to put her in her bassinet, “Okay baby girl, we’re going to let Mommy sleep for a few hours, as I’m sure she’s tired from bringing you into the world.” He placed Lillian in her bassinet at the foot of the bed. She stretched a little before she happily fell back asleep. Lee watched her sleep for a few minutes before he yawned himself, realizing how tired he was. He changed back into his pajamas and crawled into bed next to his sleeping wife, gently rubbing her arm before he relaxed to get some much needed sleep.  
A few hours later, the new parents woke up when they heard their daughter crying. Rosemary stirred and attempted to get out of bed before Lee stopped her, “Go back to sleep. You need the rest,” he whispered.  
“No, Lee, she needs to be fed, that much I do know,” said Rosemary. She could feel the heaviness in her chest, ready for her daughter to nurse.  
“Okay,” nodded Lee, though he still looked like he would jump in and handle the job himself if he physically could. She pushed herself out of bed, wincing since her back, abdomen and muscles were still sore from the intensity of the birth. She was still weak and fatigued but once she laid eyes on her little Lilly, everything faded.  
“Hey baby girl, are you hungry?” she asked softly, rocking her once she started to scream even louder. Rosemary sat in the chair in their room attempting to get Lillian to nurse, “Come on baby girl, I know you’re hungry.” Lillian finally started to eat and Rosemary gave a small smile, “Good job sweetheart,” she encouraged.   
Lee smiled at his two girls but soon Lillian started to cry once she was finished. He could tell Rosemary was getting a little flustered at trying to figure out what she wanted, so Lee got out of bed and took Lillian from Rosemary. He kissed Rosemary’s forehead, “Why don’t you go freshen up and relax. I’ll burp her and watch her until you’re done.”  
Rosemary took an uneasy breath, “Okay, I could probably use a bath from all of that pain and sweating and pushing,” she admitted.   
Lee found one of the towels and placed it over his shoulder before he began to burp Lillian, “It’s okay baby girl, Daddy’s here,” he soothed. He smiled once he heard the cute little burp Lillian made and she laid her head on his shoulder in contentment. He set her back down in her bassinet and got back into bed. He heard Rosemary enter the room soon after and she changed into a fresh nightgown that allowed easier access for Lillian to eat when she was hungry. Lee felt the bed move as she slipped under the covers next to him and he rubbed her back soothingly, “Are you alright honey?” he asked. She seemed a little off all of a sudden.  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she told him, “Just tired. It was more pain than I had imagined.”   
Lee knew his wife and he knew she was lying to him but he didn’t want to pressure her to talk. He knew that they wouldn’t be sleeping through the night for the next few months so he just decided to let it go for now. He kissed her temple and cuddled next to her falling fast asleep. At least until the next feeding two hours later.


	12. Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: these next few chapters will be a little darker, but I promise you, it will all work out in the end.

Rosemary quietly entered the nursery and stayed silent as she watched her husband talk baby talk to their daughter, “The moment I rode into what was once Coal Valley, now Hope Valley, on my motorcycle, Mommy was instantly smitten. But being the stubborn woman she is, she wouldn’t admit it. So I had Mrs. Sullivan pretend to court me to get Mommy’s attention and it worked like a charm. Now, Mommy used to be an actress in New York City, so she wanted me to build a theater here in Hope Valley. I promised her I would eventually. I mean, she gave up a career as a Hollywood actress for me, it’s the least I could do for her, right?” Lillian cooed in response, “Yeah, I thought so. The day she agreed to be my wife was one of the best days of my life. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Other than you, of course,” Rosemary stepped further into the room and Lee finally noticed her presence, “Sweetheart, how long have you been standing there?”  
“Since you started talking about riding into Coal Valley,” she responded.  
“Oh,” his eyes widened in embarrassment, “Well, I changed her diaper,” he said and held Lillian up proudly before the diaper promptly fell off, “Oh no.”  
Rosemary unsuccessfully held in a snort and covered her mouth. Lee glared at her jokingly and said, “I’m sorry honey, but you looked so proud of yourself.”  
“Well, I’m, sure you’re an expert by now,” he said amusingly, setting Lillian back down and crossing his arms, “Do you want to show me?”  
Rosemary hesitated a little. The thought of going anywhere near Lillian made her anxious and it had been a week already, “Sure,” she said, trying to hide her apprehension.  
Rosemary showed Lee how to change Lillian’s diaper, though Lee noticed she didn’t really interact with Lillian, “It’s not really that hard once you get the hang of it.”  
Lee rubbed Rosemary’s back and asked, “So how did you learn?”  
“I had Abigail show me right after she was born,” she answered.  
Lee nodded and continued to rub soothing circles over her back, “Honey, are you feeling alright? You’ve been tossing and turning a lot the last few nights.”  
“Well, Lee, given the fact that she wakes up 2-3 times a night, I think that’s a big reason why I haven’t been sleeping,” she said irritably.  
Lee rubbed Rosemary’s shoulders, “Rosie, I asked you before Lilly was born if you wanted to get a breast pump so I could handle some of the late night feedings,” he said gently.  
“Yes, and that would just create more work than I already have. It’s just easier if I get up in the middle of the night,” she scolded, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have extra laundry to do now.”  
She walked out of the room and Lee took a long nervous breath. He looked back at the infant on the table, happy as could be, “It’s okay Lilly. Mommy can sometimes be a little dramatic. It’s part of her acting nature.” But somehow deep down, Lee had a worried feeling about Rosemary.  
Over the next few weeks, Lee noticed more and more that something was off with Rosemary. Sure, he had been warned by Abigail, Molly, and Carson about the baby blues, but Rosemary seemed more upset than just a little weepy here and there. She took care of Lilly’s physical needs, but she almost always passed the baby off to him once she got the chance. In fact, he was taking care of Lillian _most_ of the time recently unless Rosemary was nursing her. And even when she was feeding her, Rosie rarely interacted with her. She only spoke a few sentences here and there. Rosemary had rarely left the house other than to go to church on Sundays and to run to the mercantile a few times. Lee could tell she was extremely uncomfortable with all of the attention she was receiving along with the baby. In the entire time Lee had known Rosemary, she was never one to run away from being the center of attention. She didn’t even want affectionate attention from him; she always pulled away from his attempts to hug her or kiss her.  
What broke Lee’s heart the most is when he would find her crying. Honestly, she seemed to be crying more often than Lilly. Whenever he would find her upset, he would wrap his arms around her, rub her back, and say soothing words and phrases to her to make her feel better. It seemed to help most of the time, but all in all, she still seemed pretty detached from him and Lillian. He had no idea how to bring it up to her or even get her to talk to him. He wanted nothing more than to take her out of her obvious misery but he didn’t have the slightest idea how to accomplish this.  
One night at dinner, Rosemary had just finished feeding Lillian and set her down in her bassinet, much to Rosemary’s noticeable relief. She went back downstairs and set the chicken and rice down on the table before calling Lee for dinner. He sat down next to her and noticed she wasn’t eating much again; she hadn’t eaten much in the two weeks since Lillian was born. He was surprised she was getting enough nutrition to nurse their daughter. Lee finally took a deep breath and said, “You know you really should eat a little more. Lillian depends on you for nutrients.”  
“I know,” she commented coldly, “Just not really hungry right now, that’s all.”  
Lee took a deep breath, pondering on how to bring up Rosemary’s obvious disinterest in life up to her, “Honey, I’ve noticed…well, ever since Lilly…,” he finally grabbed her hand, causing her to look up at him, “Rosemary, if you ever need to talk, you know I’m here to listen right?”  
Rosemary gave a sad sigh and got up from the dinner table and went to the couch. Lee walked over and sat down next to her. She tried to stop them but she just couldn’t. The tears started to flow profusely as she wrapped her arms around Lee. He embraced her back, running his hand up and down her back and rubbing her head, “Shush. It’s okay Rosie,” he soothed.  
“Oh Lee, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” cried Rosemary, “Whenever I look at Lillian, I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel anything. I’m just doing what Molly and Abigail taught me because I’m supposed to do it,” she leaned back from Lee’s embrace, “That new mother bliss, I don’t feel it. I feel like I’m a terrible mother. There was a reason I never wanted kids.”  
“Sweetheart…,” said Lee, though he was interrupted.  
“And she likes you better anyways. She almost always cries whenever she’s around me. But she loves you. She absolutely hates me. I’m a failure as a mother. I think you both would be better off without me,” she sobbed.  
“Rosie, look at me,” said Lee. He gazed into Rosemary’s green orbs, a few tears forming in his brown ones, “You are NOT a failure as a mother. And Lilly does NOT hate you. We would NOT be better off without you. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. The thought of living without you, that scares me more than anything.” Rosemary sniffled loudly as Lee wiped a tear from her eyes, “But, I’m going to be honest with you. I’m afraid to handle this myself. So if you think you can make it through the night, I want to take you to Dr. Shepherd in the morning. I can take care of Lilly other than feedings if it’ll help you sleep tonight,” he said, finally letting the tears spill loose.  
Rosemary took a deep breath and swallowed thickly. She leaned into Lee’s embrace and cried some more, “Lee, please help me!”  
“I will baby. I will,” he wept. Rosemary was his best friend, his other half, his _better_ half. He wanted nothing more right now than to take away her pain, “I promise I’ll be with you baby.”


	13. Hurt

It was a rough night for both Rosemary and Lee. On top of Lilly’s feeding and changing schedule, Lee also spent the night trying to comfort his wife whenever she would start crying or start having panic attacks in the middle of the night. Lee could easily see what Rosemary meant about not feeling a connection with Lillian. She would stiffen up and gain a look of dread every time he brought her over so Rosie could feed her and the relief was evident in her eyes when Lilly was satisfied. Lee wanted nothing more than to make her feel better, but all he could do was hold her, rub her back, kiss her, and tell her everything was going to be alright. The next morning, Lee helped Rosemary get Lillian dressed and fed before Lee gathered a few of her belongings. He knocked on Elizabeth’s door and Elizabeth answered, smiling when she laid eyes on father and daughter, “Hi Lee,” she smiled, “And how is little Ms. Lilly Coulter?” she cooed at Lillian.  
“Um, Elizabeth,” Lee’s face fell and Elizabeth gained a look of concern, “Can you watch Lilly for a few hours? I have everything she might need here.”  
“Of course, but what’s going on Lee?” she asked worriedly.  
Lee choked back a few tears, “It’s Rosie,” he answered, on the verge of breaking down, “She cries all the time, she won’t eat, she’s having trouble connecting with Lilly, she doesn’t want any affection from me,” by now, Lee was crying himself, “I don’t know how to help her, Elizabeth. She’s agreed to go see Dr. Shepherd. She was begging me to help her feel better last night.”  
Elizabeth heaved a deep breath. She could tell from the last few Sundays at church that Rosemary was having a difficult time adjusting to motherhood. She had been more than eager to hand the baby to her or Abigail and seemed to recoil from any sort of attention. Elizabeth had wanted nothing more than to comfort her and give her a big hug, but she had no idea where to start. She had never had a baby; she had no idea what Rosemary was going through. She smiled softly and took Lillian from Lee, “It’s okay baby girl, Auntie Elizabeth is here,” she looked back up at Lee, “Um, about mealtime.”  
“Um, Rosie fed her this morning. I’m hoping we’re not too long, but I guess come by the infirmary if she gets too fussy. Rosie doesn’t want to pump bottles so we have none,” said Lee.  
Elizabeth nodded at his instructions, “Well, we’re going to have a good day aren’t we Lilly?” asked Elizabeth to Lillian. Lillian cooed and Elizabeth smiled, “I thought so.” Lee turned to leave before Elizabeth called, “Lee!” Lee turned around to face her, “Good Luck.”  
Lee nodded and went back home where Rosemary was dressed though seemed to be trying to compose herself after another bout of crying. Lee walked over to her and helped her to stand, “Come on sweetheart,” he said quietly, sincerely hoping he didn’t run into any town’s people on the way over to the infirmary. Thankfully, the only person they saw was Abigail and the older woman could tell something wasn’t right, so she left the new parents alone. Once they arrived at the infirmary, Faith greeted them with a warm smile.  
“Lee, Rosemary, how’s our little…?” she stopped once she realized that Lillian wasn’t with them.  
Lee helped Rosemary sit down on one of the beds and pulled Faith aside, “Faith, is Carson here?” asked Lee quietly.  
“He left early this morning to get some supplies. He should be back before lunch. What’s going on Lee? Where’s Lillian?” asked Faith gently.  
Lee took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself. Faith could tell he had been crying by his reddened eyes, “Lillian’s with Elizabeth. And I wanted to talk to you about Rosie.”  
Faith nodded towards the said woman, noticing her staring out the window, “Is something wrong?”  
Lee nodded, “I…she’s been so sad all the time. Nothing I tell her comforts her. She hasn’t really been bonding with Lilly. She feeds her, bathes her, and changes her and that’s about it. She doesn’t play with her, doesn’t read to her, doesn’t talk to her. Heck, she doesn’t even talk to me really. It’s like she’s there physically, but not really there otherwise.”  
“How long has this lasted?” asked Faith.  
“It started a few days after she gave birth,” answered Lee, “But’s gotten worse in the weeks since then.” Faith listened intently as Lee forced himself not to cry, “Last night…she admitted to me she doesn’t feel anything when she looks at Lilly. And then she said…,” a tear finally escaped and he took a long, uneasy breath, “She said Lilly and I would be better off without her.”  
Faith nodded. She glanced back at Rosemary and touched Lee’s shoulder gently, “Lee, would you mind if I spoke to Rosemary alone?”  
Lee looked over at his wife worriedly, but nodded his approval, “Of course,” he walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead, “Faith wants to talk to you alone, honey. I’ll be outside if you need me.”  
Rosemary gave a smile, but both the sawmill owner and nurse knew it was forced. Once Lee left, Faith sat down on the bed next to Rosemary. She attempted to take Rosemary’s hand in hers, but Rosemary pulled it away quickly. Faith took some time compose her thoughts before she spoke, “Lee is worried about you, Rosie,” she said softly, rubbing her back.  
“I know, it’s in his nature,” Rosemary said. She said it in a cold tone. A stone cold tone.  
“He mentioned that you’ve been feeling sad,” said Faith.  
“That’s an understatement of the year,” she quipped, “I’ve been feeling miserable. I want life to go back to the way it was before everything happened.”  
Faith didn’t quite know what Rosemary meant by ‘before everything happened’ but she took a good guess she meant the baby, “Rosemary, have you been getting any sleep?”  
“Of course not, Faith. I have a child that needs attention every 2 hours!” she shouted.  
“I know, but when Lillian’s sleeping, can you fall asleep?” questioned Faith.  
Rosemary shook her head, “No, I just agonize over when she’ll start crying again and stress about trying to figure out what she’ll need.”  
Faith touched Rosemary’s hand and this time, Rosemary didn’t pull it away, “Lee mentioned you haven’t been eating much either.”  
“I haven’t been hungry.”  
“But Lillian relies on you for food,” reminded Faith. She took a deep breath, “Rosemary, I’m going to ask you one more question, and I want you to answer me honestly alright?” the young mother agreed and Faith asked, “You haven’t had any thoughts about…harming yourself, Lee, or the baby, have you?”  
Rosemary’s brow furrowed, “No, never! Maybe running away but not…hurting them.” Rosemary started to cry again and Faith just stayed silent for a few moments, “I want to be able to look at my baby and feel love, but I just don’t. I…I...I’m afraid I’m going to do something wrong or that she doesn’t love me or that she won’t love me because I didn’t want children. I don’t want her to feel unwanted. Lee keeps saying I’m a good mother, but I know he’s lying. He has to say that. He’s my husband.” Rosemary embraced Faith and sobbed, “I don’t know why I’m feeling the way I’m feeling and I know I’m scaring him, which makes it even worse. I don’t deserve him or the baby.”  
Faith nodded understandingly and stood. She squeezed Rosemary’s hand and said, “I’m going to go talk to Lee. Are you okay here?”  
Rosemary breathed uneasily, “Go ahead.”  
Faith stepped outside where Lee was pacing nervously, “Well?” he asked when he saw her approach him.  
“I’ll get Carson to talk to her later, and I’m in no way trained to make a formal diagnosis, but I think Rosemary might be suffering from Postpartum Depression,” admitted Faith.  
“Postpart…what?” asked a confused Lee.  
“Postpartum Depression, it’s a form of depression a woman can develop during pregnancy or after she gives birth. A lot of women who developed it were seen as neurotic or insane but more is being discovered about it,” educated Faith, “But some of Rosie’s symptoms: the insomnia, the lack of appetite, the panic attacks, the crying spells, the lack of interest in the baby, the doubts at being a good wife or mother, they can all be signs.”  
Lee took a deep breath and scrubbed his hand over his face. At least he now had a ‘what’ in helping his wife, “So, what can I do?”  
Faith glanced back into the infirmary, “Well, we can leave her here if you need a break.”  
“I can’t. We don’t have bottles pumped for Lillian,” Lee explained.  
Faith said, “Okay, well, if you think you’ll be okay looking after both her and Lillian, I can consult Dr. Shepherd and have him stop by your house to see if he agrees with me. But, I think in this case, it’ll be best for Rosemary to see someone who specializes in these kinds of illnesses. Like I told you, I’ve only read about it, I’ve never seen a case and there’s still a lot unknown about it.”  
“Well, at least you think you have an idea of what’s wrong,” admitted Lee, only somewhat relieved, “So you’re saying I’ll be able to get my wife back?”  
Faith hesitated, “I mean, we can find a specialist, we can’t make any promises, but I think with a little treatment and some support and prayers, Rosemary will be back to her usual, perky self.”  
Lee sighed, only somewhat relieved, “Can I see her now?”  
“Of course,” said Faith.  
Lee went back into the infirmary and smiled when he laid eyes on his wife. Her bright green orbs landed on him and for the first time in awhile, she stretched out her arms for him. He sat down next to her and wrapped her in a loving embrace. He kissed her temple before he leaned back, “After Faith and Carson explain everything to you, I promise you, I will be there for you, no matter what happens.”  
“You promise?” she asked.  
Lee kissed her forehead, “Always.”


	14. Anguish

Carson stopped by the Coulter house later that night and agreed with Faith about the possibility of Postpartum Depression. Carson recommended a specialist in Calgary and scheduled Rosemary for the first available appointment a few days later. Meanwhile, Rosemary finally agreed to pump bottles so others could help her with Lilly so they immediately invested in one, and for the first time in a while, Rosemary joked with Lee about feeling like a human dairy cow. Lee had to smile. He knew his wife was still in there deep down; he just needed a little help to get her out.  
Once the day finally arrived, Rosie decided it was best to take a stage coach to Calgary and also agreed to bring Lillian with them for the day. Once they were on their way to the city, Lee slowly got up and sat down next to his wife, stroking the cheek of the infant in her arms. He didn’t honestly know what to say. He could tell she seemed nervous as to what to expect. He ran his hand up and down her back and said, “Everything’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”  
A few tears fell down Rosemary’s cheeks and she looked at Lee and then back to the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms, “But Lee, what if they determine I’m unfit to be a mother and they take the baby away from me?” she whispered softly. She didn’t know why she was asking that particular question. She had wanted nothing more than their lives to go back to the way they were before Lillian was born.  
“Lillian’s not going anywhere. Anyone who even attempted to take her away would have to go through me first,” Lee stated.  
Once they arrived in Calgary, they entered the hospital and waited for a few minutes before an older gentlemen came out into the waiting area, “Rosemary Coulter,” he called.  
The couple looked up and Rosemary said softly, “I’m Rosemary Coulter.”  
“I’m Dr. Brown, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he politely shook her hand, “You must be Mr. Leland Coulter,” he turned to Lee.  
“Oh please, sir, call me Lee,” he acknowledged.  
“Alright Lee,” Dr. Brown corrected himself, “And who is this little one?” he asked about the baby in her mother’s arms.  
“Lillian,” responded Rosemary, her voice barely audible.  
The doctor nodded and gestured towards his office, “Mind if we talk Mrs. Coulter? I think it’s best if we talk alone and then have your husband join us later.”  
Rosemary nodded and passed the baby off to Lee, “Go to Daddy,” she said before she stood.  
Lee squeezed Rosemary’s hand and said, “We’ll be right here.”  
Rosemary forced a smile and patted Lilly’s head before following Dr. Brown. He closed the door behind him and motioned towards the couch, “Have a seat, Mrs. Coulter.” Rosemary hesitantly sat down and looked around at her surroundings, not knowing what to expect. Dr. Brown looked over the information Carson had sent him before sitting down across from Rosemary, “So it says here you gave birth to your daughter on the 3rd of November. Is that correct?”  
“Yes sir,” she answered quietly.  
“You’ve also mentioned having insomnia, loss of appetite, crying spells, and overall disconnect with your baby,” he listed. Rosemary nodded her head in affirmation. He set the notes down on the table between them and continued the conversation, “Well first and foremost, I want to tell you that anything discussed between us will stay confidential, even from your husband. Only what you bring up will be discussed with him, understand?” she nodded again, “Well, postpartum depression can be brought on by a number of reasons, but one thing could be a genetic influence. Is there history of depression in your family?” he asked gently.  
Rosemary shook her head in the negative, “No. At least I don’t think so. Nobody has been locked up or deemed crazy.”  
“And how was your childhood?” he encouraged.  
Rosemary’s breath shook as she composed her thoughts, “Fine I suppose. My father was a Mountie and he grew up in Montreal. I grew up in Rosemère until I was twelve when we moved to Ottawa. We were fairly well off.”  
Dr. Brown nodded his understanding, “Alright, and if I may ask a little more about your mother?”  
Rosemary sniffed a little, “Well, Mother was from Quebec City, she met my father when he first was first stationed in Quebec City. Eventually they married and in June of 1883, I came along.”  
“And it’s just you? No siblings?” he asked for confirmation.  
“No. No brothers or sisters. Just me and my parents,” she said.  
“And how was your relationship with your parents?” he questioned.  
Rosemary sighed, “Fine, I guess. My father traveled on business and assignments a lot and Mother would go with him sometimes. They traveled all over Canada, sometimes the world.”  
“So you got to see the world?” asked Dr. Brown curiously.  
“Oh no, just them. I would stay behind with our nanny, Adelaide. She actually is the one who first introduced me to my love of theater. Whenever Mother and Father would leave again, Adelaide and I would perform plays, occasionally she’d take me to a Broadway show if one came to Montreal. Well, then when I was twelve, we moved to Ottawa and I had to say goodbye to her. I rarely saw her after that.”  
“Alright, and how was your life after moving to Ottawa?” he encouraged her to talk some more.  
Rosemary said, “It was rough at first. Everyone thought I was a little strange and overdramatic. It was only one boy that was willing to become my friend, well him and his brother. He would watch my shows and I would attempt to do some of the Mountie things he wanted me to do, though I wasn’t really good at them.”  
“He related to you,” commented Dr. Brown.  
Rosemary nodded, “His father died when he was young so he knew how it felt to lose a parent. I mean, Mother and Father weren’t dead, but they were definitely gone a lot.”  
“So your parents, your nanny, Adelaide, and your friend, um…”  
“Jack,” Rosemary confirmed.  
“Jack,” Dr. Brown smiled, “Do you still communicate with them?”  
Rosemary shook her head, “Adelaide passed away shortly after I moved to Ottawa. Scarlet fever,” said Rosemary sadly, “And Mother and Father have both passed on as well. But Mother stopped talking to me years ago.”  
“Why do you suppose that is?” he asked.  
“Because she didn’t like her daughter moving to New York City to pursue an acting career,” responded Rosemary, “She expected me to be just like her, follow a man and support his hopes and dreams. But I didn’t really want a husband or children at the time. So when I left for the United States, we lost all contact. She died a few years later.”  
“Okay, and your friend, Jack?”  
“We still keep in touch. He’s a Mountie now, just like his father. He’s actually assigned to the town I live in, Hope Valley, about an hour from here,” said Rosemary, “But he’s been away for several months now. He’s off fighting in the Northern Territories,” Rosemary started to cry. Dr. Brown handed her a tissue and she composed herself, “Besides my husband, he was one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I’m afraid I’ll lose him like I did Mother, Father, and Adelaide.”  
“And does your husband know how you feel?” asked Dr. Brown calmly.  
Rosemary shook her head, “No, I don’t want to tell him how I feel because I don’t want him to get jealous.”  
“Why would he be jealous?”  
“Because Jack and I…we were engaged briefly but it didn’t work out. I actually went to Hope Valley to try to rekindle the relationship but then I realized why it didn’t work in the first place. I mean, we’re great friends but…” Rosemary trailed off, “When I laid eyes on my husband, it was love at first sight.”  
“How long have you been married, Mrs. Coulter?”  
“It’ll be two years this April,” she smiled fondly, the first genuine smile in several weeks.  
Dr. Brown smiled to himself before he questioned, “Would you mind if I called your husband in to join us, Mrs. Coulter?”  
Rosemary shook her head, “No, not at all sir.”  
******************************************************************************  
Dr. Brown called Lee into the room and he sat down next to Rosemary. Lillian started fussing in his arms and Rosemary touched her husband’s shoulder, “Can I hold her?”  
Lee looked a little surprised but said, “Yeah. Yeah, of course,” he passed Lillian to her mother, “Go to Mommy, my Little Flower.”  
Dr. Brown smiled at the couple and as Rosemary rocked their daughter. He took a deep breath, “Mrs. Coulter, if there’s anything we’ve discussed that you’d like your husband to know, now’s your chance.”  
Rosemary started to cry a little as she touched Lillian’s tiny hand. She turned to face Lee and began to pour her heart out to him about everything from her childhood in Quebec and Ontario to her family life to how much she missed Jack in the Northern Territories.  
“Wait a minute, you’re originally from Montreal? You don’t even speak French,” said Lee in shock.  
Rosemary glared at him, “Leland James Coulter, that’s what you took from that!? Et oui je parle Français. Yes, I do speak French. It’s just that my English improved immensely in Ottawa and New York City. Plus I lost the accent.”  
Lee raised his eyebrows, “Good to know.” That explained some of the phrases he didn’t understand when they were…doing what led to Lillian’s creation. He rubbed Rosemary’s cheek and asked, “Honey, why didn’t you tell me all of this? Why did you leave it bottled up inside of you for months?”  
Rosemary started to cry and took a long, unsteady breath, “I don’t know. I guess…” Lee gave her a few moments to compose herself, “I didn’t think I could be a mother. My own mother wasn’t around and the only mother figure I had in my life disappeared when I needed a mother the most. Nobody ever taught me how to be a mother. I figured it would just be easier if I never had children. That’s the main reason I broke it off with Jack. I didn’t want to hold him back from raising a family,” Lee nodded, indicating for her to continue, “Well, then I met you, and…just like you told Lilly I was smitten but I didn’t want to admit it. But then, I knew I wanted to, no I had to be with you. I couldn’t live without you. And it was pure bliss for the first several months. Then I got pregnant, and let’s just say I was less than thrilled when Carson told me the symptoms I had been experiencing were due to pregnancy, not influenza like I expected. No, that’s wrong, like I had wanted it to be even though I knew deep down I was pregnant. I knew you’d be so excited so I tried to fake enthusiasm for your sake because I love you so much.”  
“Baby…” started Lee, but Rosemary held up her hand to stop him.  
“And then, I was going to talk to Jack about my feelings because he’s been by my side through most of my childhood but then he went away and I felt guilty for missing him, which made me feel even worse. I felt like other than you, I had no support. Everyone important to me in my life is gone other than you. And now I’m afraid you’ll leave me too, especially because I wasn’t thrilled about having a baby or raising a family with you despite it happening.”  
“Rosie, look at me,” he said, holding her face in his hands, forcing her to gaze into his tear-filled eyes, “You have so much more support in me and in Hope Valley that you ever had. I vowed to God and to you that I would never leave your side. And our little girl has so many wonderful people to look up to, including her beautiful, strong, loving mother. The mother that will teach her how to cook, how to design dresses, how to perform plays, how to secretly get on Daddy’s nerves,” he joked and Rosemary chuckled, “God wouldn’t have made you a mother and wouldn’t have given you this baby if He didn’t think you couldn’t handle it. But He knew with me and the rest of Hope Valley by your side, you could do anything you set your mind to do. But you have to tell me if you’re feeling overwhelmed and ask for help, because I’m willing to do anything for you. You and Lilly.”  
By now, a plethora of tears were falling from Rosie’s eyes, a so called ugly cry if you would call it that, but for the first time in several weeks, it wasn’t out of sadness. It was because she had married the most wonderful man on the face of the Earth. She leaned in and gave him the most passionate kiss she had given him in a while, “I love you, Lee. So much,” she breathed.  
“I love you too,” he smiled.  
Dr. Brown cleared his throat and the couple brought themselves back to reality. He motioned for Lee to step out of the room, “Mr. Coulter, if I could have a word with you.”  
He stood and then glanced at Rosemary, “Are you okay with her?”  
She looked down at Lillian and said, “Go ahead. We’ll be fine.”  
He nodded reluctantly and went outside with Dr. Brown, “Well, Mr. Coulter, I’ll admit we had a good session today, but these types of illnesses don’t resolve themselves overnight. I do recommend bringing Mrs. Coulter to my office once a week for a few months. Also, she probably will have some crying spells and some trouble sleeping until she keeps sorting through her worries. But, I think with a little more talking to me and especially you, I expect Mrs. Coulter to make a full recovery.”  
Lee held back a few tears. Rosie, his Rosie, was going to be alright, “That’s great to hear sir.”  
“Well, the next coach back to Hope Valley leaves in 20 minutes. You might want to start heading out.”  
“Thank you sir,” said Lee. He turned to go back into the office but stopped when he saw something for the first time that made his heart swell. For the first time, Rosemary was interacting with Lillian.  
“Your Daddy is a good man, a wonderful man. I know you make his heart melt, just like he makes mine melt. He would do absolutely anything for you, you know that? He would do the same for me,” Lillian gave a quick smile before it disappeared, “I think you’re going to have Daddy’s sweet smile, the same one that makes my heart skip a beat and my legs feel like jelly every time I lay my eyes on him,” Rosemary touched her finger to Lillian’s nose and continued, “But other than your smile, you’re the spitting image of me when I was a baby,” she took a deep breath, “I…I may not know how to be a good mother and I can’t promise you I won’t mess up, but I can promise you I will always try my best for you baby girl,” she kissed the top of Lillian’s head, “I love you, my Little Flower.”  
Lee cleared his throat to get his wife’s attention and he smiled meekly, “Ready to go.”  
Lillian started to cry and Rosemary began to get flustered a little, “Um, okay….please, honey, what do you want?”  
Lee stepped in and said, “I think she wants fed,” he said handing Rosemary one of the bottles.  
Rosemary nodded uneasily but offered Lillian the milk. The infant latched on for lunch and Rosemary breathed a sigh of relief, “Yeah, now we’re ready.”


	15. Comfort

Over the next few weeks, Rosemary continued to visit with Dr. Brown once a week, though her recovery was rocky as he had warned them. Although Rosie was working through her reservations every week, it still seemed that every time she would take two steps forward, she would then take one step back. For every one time Lee would find her enthusiastically singing to or reading to Lilly, there would be other times where he would notice her handing the baby to him and locking herself in their room crying. It had been a bumpy road the past few weeks but thankfully, Rosemary was improving overall. Lee and Elizabeth had also encouraged Rosemary to write to Jack, though Rosemary was hesitant at first since he would be receiving mail from two women. She didn’t want it to look scandalous. Once they both finally convinced her to write to Jack, Rosemary felt a bit better about him having been away for so long.  
Hope Valley had also been aiding in helping Rosemary to feel better about life. Elizabeth and Abigail both made sure to check in on her often, inviting Rosemary out for lunch dates with Lillian. Both of the women and Lee would be the first to step in and defend Rosemary any time rumors, particularly those that came from Florence, began to spread. Rosie was more excited to show off Lillian at church and was more animate instead of upset when describing her daughter’s first month of life.  
The real test though would be today. For the first time since Lillian was born, Lee would be returning to work, leaving Rosemary alone with the baby. The whole concept had Rosemary in a terror, not because she was afraid of being alone with Lillian; on the contrary, she was looking forward to the opportunity to attempt to bond with her daughter some more while they weren’t under Lee’s constant watchful eye. Honestly, she was more worried about messing something up or doing something wrong and disappointing _him_. Of course, Lillian still demanded a feeding every 2 hours and a diaper change 30-45 minutes after that so they were both still sleeping in what they swore were ten minute blocks.  
Monday morning finally arrived and Lee and Rosemary were up early, Lillian’s cries of hunger being the reason of course. Rosemary groaned softly at being woken up and Lee rubbed her back gently, “Do you want me to take care of her before I leave?”  
“No, you have to get yourself ready,” she responded, “You have to make yourself look presentable,” she tiredly smirked at him.  
“You’re saying I haven’t been looking presentable lately?” he joked.  
She chuckled lightly and shook her head, “That’s okay. I really haven’t looked good either.”  
Lee kissed her and smiled, “You’re beautiful, Rosie. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.”  
Rosemary gave him a look of doubt, “Honey, that’s sweet, but you don’t have to lie to me about being fat and exhausted,” Rosemary climbed out of bed and walked over to Lilly’s bassinet, attempting to soothe the screaming infant, “It’s okay Lilly Girl. Mommy’s here.”  
Lee walked over to Rosemary, laid his hands on her shoulders, and massaged them, “Rosie, how many times do I have to tell you you’re not fat. You just grew our daughter within your body. I honestly believe that’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen you do.”  
Rosemary sighed and leaned back into Lee’s embrace, Lee feeling satisfied being with his two favorite girls. Rosemary shifted in his arms and smiled softly, “I’ll be in her room nursing her so you can get ready.”  
Lee nodded as Rosemary left the room. She quietly shut the door behind her and began to soothe her unhappy, hungry daughter, “It’s alright baby girl. I know you’re hungry,” she said as she tried to unbutton her nightgown as fast as she could. Lillian instantly began to eat vigorously and Rosemary couldn’t help but smile at the adorable suckling sound Lilly made when she nursed; she was honestly just noticing it, “Yeah, Daddy sometimes gets that upset and eats that fast when he’s hungry too,” Rosemary chuckled to herself. Her grocery bill had doubled after she and Lee had gotten married. Lilly stretched and started fussing when she finished and Rosemary grabbed a towel so she wouldn’t mess up her nightgown. She began to burp Lillian and continued to talk to her, “You know, it’s going to be just you and me today, sweetheart,” she said nervously, “Because Daddy has to go back to work. He owns the sawmill here in Hope Valley. He’s a very busy man but he’ll always make time for you and me because he loves us both very much,” she smiled to herself when she heard Lilly burp but then frowned a little when she realized there was spit up on the cloth. She tossed it into the basket of dirty clothes and towels and laid Lilly on the changing table, “You know you’ve increased my laundry quite a bit little lady.”  
Lee came into the nursery, now fully dressed for work. He came up behind Rosemary and laid his hand on the small of her back, “Honey, I can change her and get her dressed. Why don’t you go get dressed and then you can start breakfast.”  
Rosemary wrapped her arms around his waist, “Well, since I’m pretty sure you want something more than milk, how do bacon, eggs, and biscuits sound?”  
“With butter and gravy?” he asked hopefully.  
“And strawberry jam,” she smiled.  
“Sounds wonderful, Mrs. Coulter,” he kissed her.  
Rosemary squeezed his hand and went back to their room, grateful Lee did most of the diaper changes. To be honest, it had been over a month and she still hadn’t fully gotten used to what could sometimes be in Lillian’s diapers. She yanked off her nightgown and hung it on the back of the chair in her dressing area before hesitating as to which corset to attempt to lace. She went for her usual one before she realized she still hadn’t lost enough weight and the fact that she was nursing an infant wasn’t going to allow her to lace it properly. She huffed in frustration and tossed it aside and laced up her maternity corset, wondering if she would ever return to her former figure. She zipped her skirt and buttoned her blouse before she glanced up in the mirror. She wiped a few tears from her eyes and calmed herself before she went down the hall and poked her head into Lillian’s room where Lee was babbling nonsense to their daughter, “Hey honey?” she asked to get his attention. He looked up at her and stiffened when he observed her reddened eyes and runny nose, “Could you bring her bassinet downstairs so I can keep an eye on her on that level?”  
“Of course,” he nodded and smiled.  
“Thanks,” she said softly and went downstairs to start breakfast. Thankfully, she had all of the right ingredients she’d need. Rosemary went to get Lillian as Lee brought down the bassinet and set it in between their living area and dining room, Rosemary rocking Lillian to sleep and then placing Lillian down. Rosemary set the bacon, eggs, biscuits, butter, gravy, strawberry jam, coffee, and orange juice on the table. She sat down next to her husband and said a silent prayer before pouring some orange juice.  
Lee could tell something was off with her again, so he grabbed her hand and firmly asked, “Rosemary, what’s wrong?” There was a look of gentle compassion in his eyes.  
Rosemary sighed. She didn’t really want to worry him with it being his first day back at work, “Nothing, sweetheart. I’m fine.”  
“Rosemary,” said Lee, “I know you. Everything is not fine. You know what Dr. Brown said. You’re not supposed to be bottling up your emotions. Now what’s wrong?”  
Rosemary’s breath shook a little, “Just going to miss having you around, that’s all,” she admitted, smiling meekly.  
“Honey, if you need me to stay…”  
“Lee, no,” said Rosemary steadfastly, “That sawmill isn’t going to run itself and you’ve already missed enough time with taking care of me because of I’ve been a crazy mess.”  
“Sweetheart, what you’ve been going through is a genuine illness, you’re not crazy and you’re not a mess,” reminded Lee.  
“I know,” Rosemary half-heartedly agreed, though she felt differently about the crazy mess part, “Besides, I have laundry to do and this place could use a good cleaning,” she said, looking around the living and dining rooms with a disgusted face. Their usually spotless home currently looked as if a tornado had torn through it recently, “Go, we’ll be fine. I promise,” she smiled and squeezed his hand.  
“Alright,” said Lee, only somewhat relieved. He put on his coat and grabbed his briefcase before he went over to Lillian, “Well Princess, Daddy has to go, but I’ll be home tonight. I love you, sweet pea,” he kissed the top of her head. He teasingly went to leave.  
“Ahem,” Rosemary cleared her throat jokingly, “Don’t I get one too?”  
“Of course you do,” he smirked, kissing her, “Love you, honey.”  
“Love you too,” she smiled and he left. Once he was gone, Rosemary turned towards a gurgling Lillian and rubbed her chest, “See, I told you Daddy’s a little goofy. Now, I should probably start that laundry,” she whispered to herself, running upstairs and hastily getting the clothes and towels so Lilly wasn’t alone for more than a brief second. She went to set the basket down when she glanced at the date on the calendar. She widened her eyes and took a closer look once she realized what day it was: December 14th, a little over two weeks before Christmas, “Oh no. Oh dear,” she started to panic. She had been so preoccupied taking care of Lilly and dealing with her postpartum depression that she had completely forgotten about her favorite holiday of the year. She hastily started running around the house looking for a paper and pencil. She sat down at the dining room table, completely forgetting the laundry and dusting that currently needed to be done, “Oh dear, Mommy’s been so busy taking care of you and herself that she completely forgot to decorate the house and get Daddy something for Christmas,” she thought about it and glanced over at her daughter, “Santa also needs to get something for you,” she said making a note of it on the paper. She quickly cleared the dishes and washed them so it would be one less thing to do later today. She went over to the bassinet and scooped Lilly into her arms, preparing the diaper bag and the sling so they could go shopping and get what Rosemary needed, “Now last Christmas was our first Christmas as husband and wife and Daddy said Mommy went a little overboard,” Rosemary cooed at Lillian, “But, since this will be our first Christmas as Mommy and Daddy and our first Christmas with you as a family, we’re not only going to do what we did last year, we’re going to double that!” she prattled to Lillian. Maybe Rosemary was getting a little ambitious, but she wanted their first Christmas as parents to be special. She grabbed several diapers, wipes, bottles, towels, an extra outfit, Lilly’s pacifier, and her blanket. She swaddled Lilly in the sling, grabbed Lilly’s diaper bag and her handbag and set out for the day, “Alright baby girl, you ready to make this the best Christmas ever for Daddy?” Lillian yawned and stretched in Rosemary’s arms before she snuggled against her chest and went back to sleep, “That’s what I thought you’d say.”


	16. Special Present

Rosemary stepped outside and headed towards Main Street, doing her best to shield Lilly from the frigid, winter air. The first stop on her list was to stop by the tree farm to pick up trees. She tried to figure out how she could have three trees again. No, she promised to go bigger this Christmas. She wanted four trees. She finally found Jesse and Hickam taking turns loading and carrying various sized pines around the farm. Jesse smiled uneasily when he saw Rosemary; he honestly didn’t know what to say to her, “Mrs. Coulter, uh, are you here to pick up a tree?”  
“No Jesse, I’m here to pick up FOUR trees!” she said excitedly.  
Jesse’s eyes widened, “Four trees? Where are you going to put all of them?”  
“Well, two in the living room,” she thought for a moment and realized the location of the upstairs tree was now Lillian’s room. There was no way she could put a tree up with an infant residing there. She supposed she could put it in her’s and Lee’s room. No, that wouldn’t work either. Lee’s allergies would kick in and he would snore even worse than he already did. Not to mention the fact that Lillian currently slept in their room. Wait a tiny tree on the desk in their room. She could put the third larger tree in the corner of the living room opposite the door, “Three larger trees for the living room and one smaller tree for upstairs.”  
Jesse sighed but smiled, “Alright then. Four trees it is.”  
Rosemary went around the farm with Jesse and Hickam close behind her as she asked Lilly her opinions on the trees. Of course, the one month old newborn was oblivious to what her mother was saying, but it made Rosemary feel closer to her. Once she had picked out the perfect trees, Jesse and Hickam loaded them onto the trucks and dropped them off at her house. She admitted she missed being able to boss people around somewhat. Once they left, Rosemary placed Lilly down in her bassinet and found the box of Christmas decorations from the previous year in the storage closet, “Now after you have lunch, Mommy’s going to go find something special for Daddy and Mommy will talk to Santa about finding something special for you,” she babbled to Lillian, putting a few silver balls on one of the trees. Rosemary sat at the dining room table and decorated the little tree for upstairs, “This is a tree that’s just your size,” she smiled at Lilly. She placed the tree on the desk in their room upstairs and then came back downstairs, smiling to herself. It looked like the North Pole had exploded in the place. And it was perfect. Rosemary’s daydream was quickly ended when Lillian started screaming at the top of her lungs. A few anxious tears formed in Rosemary’s eyes, before she took a deep breath to compose herself, “Alright Rosie, you can do it. She’s your daughter. You know her better than anyone,” she walked over to her daughter and lifted her into her arms, “Okay, honey, tell Mommy what’s wrong,” Lillian licked her lips and started rooting and Rosemary sighed in relief, knowing that meant she was hungry, “Alright baby girl,” she whispered once she had her blouse unbuttoned and had settled Lilly into her arms. She mentally ran through some ideas of what to get Lee for Christmas but nothing seemed special enough. A new watch? No, finances were a little tighter with the fact that both of them had been missing a lot of work, her therapy visits, as well as their newest addition. But she honestly _had_ to get him something special, even bigger than she had gotten him last year. He had done so much for her and been there for her throughout the whole pregnancy, birth, and then the postpartum depression ordeal this past year. She needed some advice on what to get Lee and Lillian as gifts. She knew who to talk to immediately, someone who was once married and had children. Rosemary finished feeding Lillian and rocked her to sleep before carefully swaddling her once again. She went over to Abigail’s café where it seemed the lunchtime rush had cleared out already.  
Abigail smiled when she saw mother and daughter enter the room, “Rosemary, how are you?” she asked happily, giving her a side embrace so not to crush the baby in her mother’s arms.  
“I’ve been okay,” said Rosemary softly.  
“And how’s Little Lady Coulter?” she asked rubbing Lillian’s head.  
“She’s been better than me,” answered Rosemary honestly.  
“Have you eaten yet? Did you want to talk?” asked Abigail. She could tell by the look in Rosemary’s eyes she wanted to converse about something.  
Rosemary shook her head, “Um, no. She’s eaten but I haven’t,” she answered.  
“Well, I can make you anything you’d like,” smiled Abigail warmly.  
“Anything?” asked Rosemary raising her eyebrows.  
“From one mother to another, anything,” confirmed Abigail.  
“Then how about some of your famous chicken fried steak,” smirked Rosemary.  
Once Abigail had finished the food, she sat down across from the new mother and smiled softly, “How have you been feeling? Physically, I mean?”  
“Sore and exhausted,” Rosemary answered honestly, “For a little body, she demands a lot.”  
“Childbirth and new motherhood can be taxing,” Abigail admitted, remembering the feeling fondly. Rosemary nodded uneasily and Abigail asked, “Is there something on your mind, Rosie?”  
Rosemary sighed and nodded, “It’s about Lee. I don’t know what to get him for Christmas. I don’t know what to get her for Christmas for that matter,” she vented gesturing towards Lillian, “I decorated the house today and then I started thinking of gift ideas but none of them seem right. Our finances are a little tighter, but he’s been so good to me, even though I’ve been crazy…”  
“Rosemary, you’re not crazy,” reminded Abigail, “Your feelings are just as valid as any new mother’s feelings.”  
Rosemary gave a small smile and then gazed at her daughter peacefully sleeping in her arms, “I’ve been a terrible wife for the past year, and I feel like I have to make it up to him by making this Christmas even more special than last Christmas.”  
“Rosie, you’ve been anything but a terrible wife. You gave Lee the best Christmas present anyone could ask for just last month,” she patted Lilly’s head, “He’s going to love whatever you give him and he’s always going to love you. I’ll admit, my first Christmas after Peter was born, I felt the same way you did.”  
“Really?” asked Rosemary with tears in her eyes.  
“Really,” confirmed Abigail, “I wanted to make it so special, but then I realized just being together is what mattered most to Noah. Not Christmas trees and fancy presents and extravagant dinners. And you still have several days yet to come up with the perfect gift, and I know you Rosemary, you always rise to a challenge.”  
“That’s right. I do,” smiled Rosemary, “Thank you Abigail,” said Rosemary gratefully. Lillian started crying in her arms and Rosemary whimpered a little, “What is it, little one?”  
“Do you want me to take her?” asked Abigail.  
Rosemary almost promptly handed her over, but then decided against it, “No. that’s one of the things I’ve been working through with Dr. Brown. I’m usually one to hand the baby to its mother as soon as it gets fussy, but in this case I realize, I AM her mother. I can’t just pass her off to someone else every time she cries which is what I’ve been doing,” Rosemary wrinkled her nose, “I think she needs a diaper change. I just fed her about a half hour ago. Is there any place I could change her?"  
“If you want to go upstairs to my room, that’s okay,” answered Abigail.  
Rosemary nodded appreciatively and went to change Lilly. Rosemary’s last stop of the day was the mercantile where she ran into Elizabeth picking up her mail, “Hi, Rosemary. Hi Lilly,” she greeted.  
“Say hi to Auntie Elizabeth,” smiled Rosemary. Lillian gurgled a little and Rosemary chuckled, “Yeah you love your Auntie Elizabeth don’t you?”  
“Ms. Thatcher, Mrs. Coulter,” said Mr. Yost, looking through the mail, “Ah yes, one letter from Constable Jack Thornton,” Elizabeth stood eagerly, “For Mrs. Rosemary Coulter.”  
“Oh,” Elizabeth’s face fell as Mr.Yost handed Rosemary the letter.  
“I also have a letter from Constable Jack Thornton for Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher,” he handed Elizabeth her letter.  
The two women stepped outside and Elizabeth turned to Rosemary, “Oh Rosemary, I was wondering, since school is out for Christmas break, did you want to help me with the Christmas committee?”  
“Really?” asked Rosemary.  
“Of course,” smiled Elizabeth, “I mean, I know you’re busy, obviously, but I could really use your help,” Elizabeth looked down, “And I figure it could take your mind off of…you know?”  
Rosemary didn’t quite know if Elizabeth was referring to her depression or Jack’s absence, “I would love to, Elizabeth,” she smiled.  
“Great,” Elizabeth beamed, “Why don’t we meet at your house tomorrow, that way my Goddaughter doesn’t have to spend too much time in this cold Canadian weather.”  
“Sounds good,” smiled Rosemary, “Well, I have to get home. I still have some housework to do and I don’t want her out for much longer.”  
“Go,” Elizabeth nodded and Rosemary set off for her house. Once Rosemary arrived home, she heaved a sigh as she set her handbag and the diaper bag down on the floor. She placed Lilly in her bassinet before she opened the letter from Jack, _“Dear Rosemary, I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. I can’t wait to be back in Hope Valley because I’ve missed you so much. Okay, I’ll admit I’ve missed Elizabeth the most, but I’ve missed all of my Hope Valley friends. Now, this next part, I’m not including in my letter to Elizabeth because I want to surprise her, understand Rosie? I’ll be coming home for Christmas and I’ll be arriving three days before Christmas. I need you and Lee to help me plan a surprise homecoming. Elizabeth mentioned a Christmas wishing tree and I know deep down she’ll wish for my return. I want you to make sure she’s in a certain spot so I can come up behind her. I look forward to meeting little Lilly. Hope to hear from you soon. All my Best, Jack.”_  
Rosemary covered her mouth and chuckled, holding back the tears in her eyes. Jack was coming home, coming home to meet his Goddaughter, coming home to his dear Elizabeth. Of course Rosemary wanted to be involved in the surprise. She quickly found a pencil and paper to write a response, _“Dear Jack, Of course I’ll help! Lilly’s looking forward to meeting you. Good Luck, Rosemary.”_  
Rosemary looked at the time and realized it was nearing Lilly’s bedtime, so she carried the bassinet upstairs, being careful not to jostle the baby. She bathed Lilly and changed her into a sleeper before she settled into the rocking chair to feed her one more time before she rocked her to sleep. Rosemary sang Lilly her favorite lullaby, Hush Little Baby, before she set her down gently. She smiled at Lilly and said, “We did okay today, didn’t we sweetheart?”  
She heard her husband enter the house, “Honey, I’m home! Rosemary descended the stairs as she heard him say, “What the?”  
“Hi sweetheart,” she smiled and kissed him. She took his coat to hang it up on the hook.  
“Um, you’ve been busy,” he commented looking around his home.  
“Yeah,” Rosemary confirmed, “I just put the baby to sleep.”  
“Good,” said Lee lowering his register, observing his wife in front of him, “So, how are you feeling?” asked Lee compassionately.  
Rosemary breathed uneasily, “Alright. Just tired, but that’s to be expected.”  
“Come here,” said Lee, wrapping her in a loving embrace. He kissed her temple and said, “I am so proud of you.”  
“W…why?” asked Rosemary.  
Lee gazed into her eyes, “Because you’ve come so far in the past few weeks. I’ve gotten to see my friend become my crush, my crush become the love of my life, the love of my life become my wife, and now I’m seeing my wife become a mother,” Rosemary sighed happily, grateful to be in his embrace for the first time recently without half of her in between them. The thought of Jack’s letter hit her and she backed up, “Rosie, are you…?”  
“Oh Lee, yes I’m alright, but we’ve been assigned a very big responsibility from Jack,” said Rosemary.  
“Oh, you heard back from him?” asked Lee.  
Rosemary nodded and told Lee all about what Jack wanted them to do. Lee smiled at her enthusiasm to surprise Elizabeth and agreed to help them. Soon, Rosemary began to yawn, “Well I’m going to go try to get some sleep. I’m sure it won’t be much longer before Lilly’s up again.”  
Lee kissed her forehead and said, “I’ll be up soon, but I’ll let you sleep and use some of the bottles to feed her. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”  
Rosemary nodded, “Alright. I love you.”  
“Love you too,” he pecked her on the lips before she disappeared upstairs. He looked around the place once again and thought about her enthusiasm for both the Christmas committee and for Elizabeth’s surprise. Before Lee followed his wife upstairs, he silent cheered and thanked God for the fact that he was finally getting his wife back.


	17. Surprise

Over the next few days, Rosemary actively helped Elizabeth prepare Hope Valley for Christmas while doing her best to keep Jack’s homecoming a secret from her. Lee knew she was struggling not to blurt out their secret every time she was around Elizabeth. She had helped pick out the perfect tree for the wishing tree in the center of town and had also been of aid in creating the costumes for the Nativity play on Christmas Eve. It pained Rosemary not to be the director this year, but alas, taking care of a child and at least attempting to provide Dottie some help at the dress shop proved to be more than enough for the new mother, not to mention Elizabeth’s big surprise.  
On top of all of her responsibilities she was shouldering with the Christmas committee and new motherhood, Rosemary still hadn’t had time to find the perfect gift for Lee. Finding presents for Lillian had been easy; she had bought her daughter a rattle, some stuffed animals, and a few adorable dresses. But Lee: she loved that man to death but he was impossible to shop for. She knew he would appreciate anything she bought for him but it was Christmas and their first Christmas as parents at that. Despite what Abigail had told her, she still wanted to get him something special. Maybe Elizabeth would have an idea on what to get him. Speaking of Elizabeth, Rosemary had to put her plan into place to make sure Jack’s homecoming remained a surprise for the next day.  
Rosemary then heard a knock at the door. Speak of the town teacher. She went to answer it and smiled when she saw Elizabeth on the other side, “Elizabeth, just the woman I was hoping to talk to today,” she greeted happily.  
Elizabeth looked a little confused, “Always a pleasure, Rosie, but you knew I was coming by today.”  
“I know, but it’s an emergency,” said Rosemary, pulling her into her house, “I have some tea boiling, it should be done soon,” she said going to check on the pot. Elizabeth smiled at a sleeping Lillian and went to pick her up until she heard Rosemary say, “Please don’t pick her up. I just got her to sleep ten minutes ago and she’s being good.”  
Elizabeth lifted her hands and said, “I wasn’t going to pick her up.”  
Rosemary looked at Elizabeth skeptically, “Really? You weren’t?” she asked sarcastically.  
“Okay, maybe I was,” Elizabeth chuckled lightly. She sat down on the couch and Rosemary brought the tea pot, cups, and saucers over, “So what did you want to talk to me about, because I have the feeling it’s more personal than the Christmas committee.”  
Rosemary sighed, rubbing Lillian’s chest before she answered, “It’s about Lee. I have no idea what to get him for Christmas and you know me. I’m normally just full of ideas,” she emphasized.  
“Oh Rosie, I’m sure Lee will love whatever you get him,” assured Elizabeth.  
“Now you sound like Abigail,” said Rosemary sadly, “But he’s been a saint this past year and he’s been so helpful both when I was pregnant and after I gave birth to Lilly. It’s our first Christmas as parents and our first Christmas as a family. I just want it to be special for him.”  
Elizabeth smiled softly at a sleeping Lilly and then turned to her friend, “I can understand. I’m sure having a child has changed things.”  
Rosemary nodded, “In good ways, for sure, but things have also been more stressful. That’s why I just want to do something special for him.”  
“Well, what have you thought about giving him?” asked Elizabeth curiously.  
“I thought about a new watch, he has that beat up old one, but with Lilly’s arrival and my visits to Dr. Brown, we can’t afford it. The only other new thing he might need is a typewriter in his office,” she elaborated and then her face lit up, “That’s it. Oh, Elizabeth, thank you!” she embraced her friend.  
“Um, you’re welcome?” Elizabeth answered in a half question form.  
“Okay, now that that’s out of the way, we introduce the Christmas wishing tree tomorrow morning correct?” questioned Rosemary.  
“Yes,” responded Elizabeth and Rosemary beamed, “Is there a reason why you’re so happy?” asked Elizabeth.  
“No reason, the holiday season just always puts me in a good mood,” said Rosemary. Lillian began to fuss a little and Rosemary’s smile faltered. She gently cradled her daughter and quietly asked, “What is it, little one? Are you hungry?”  
Elizabeth stood and said, “I can leave you alone if she has to eat.”  
“Nonsense, I have a few bottles,” said Rosemary finding one of the bottles in the small refrigerator. She warmed it and offered it to Lilly who promptly accepted, “There you go, sweetie,” she smiled.  
“So, I guess you’re getting a better handle on being a mother,” said Elizabeth.  
Rosemary nodded, “Slowly but surely. I’ve made sure Santa is going to pay her a visit,” she said and Elizabeth nodded her understanding, “Oh speaking of Santa, have the men decided who is being Santa this year?”  
“They have,” confirmed Elizabeth.  
“And?” asked Rosemary encouragingly.  
“Carson is going to be Santa,” said Elizabeth.  
“Oh,” Rosemary’s face fell.  
“What?” chuckled Elizabeth.  
“I was just hoping Lee would be Santa. Lilly would look so cute sitting on Daddy’s lap with him dressed as Santa,” she pouted.  
“Well she can still sit on Santa’s lap with the rest of the children. Guess Lee’s just too good at throwing darts,” shrugged Elizabeth. Lilly finished her bottle and Elizabeth outstretched her arms for her Goddaughter, “Can I burp her?” she asked enthusiastically.  
“If it’ll make your day,” chuckled Rosemary, handing Elizabeth a rag and then the baby.  
Elizabeth gently patted Lilly’s back and smiled, “You know, you already gave Lee a wonderful Christmas present with this cutie pie.”  
Rosemary rolled her eyes jokingly, “I can see why you and Abigail are best friends.”  
Elizabeth smirked at Rosemary as she heard a noise come from Lilly, “Good job sweetheart. Now go back to Mommy,” she whispered and placed Lilly back into Rosemary’s arms. Elizabeth stood and said, “Well, I have a few more things to do before tomorrow. I’ll see you and Lee at the saloon at eleven?”  
“You certainly will,” confirmed Rosemary. She watched her friend leave, smiling to herself knowing Elizabeth was about to get the best Christmas present of all.  
Later that night, after Rosemary had gotten the baby to sleep, she snuggled next to Lee in their bed and said, “Everything’s in place for tomorrow.”  
“Mmhm,” he responded, “We meet Elizabeth at the saloon at eleven, correct?”  
“Yep, and I make sure she’s in a certain spot to where Jack can come up behind her,” answered Rosemary.  
“There is one flaw in this plan though. What if Elizabeth doesn’t ask for Jack to be here?” asked Lee.  
“Oh she will, honey, she will,” said Rosemary confidently. She kissed Lee and smiled, looking into his eyes. He stroked her cheek as the two deepened the kiss, though their fervent kissing was quickly interrupted by crying. Lee and Rosemary groaned a little and he chuckled, “Welcome to parenthood, Mrs. Coulter.”  
******************************************************************************  
The next day, the couple was up bright and early, partly because of their daughter and partly because of their excitement for Elizabeth’s surprise. They both got themselves and Lilly ready for the day before joining Elizabeth and Abigail at the center of town where the Christmas tree was already prepared. Elizabeth and Abigail explained how the wishing tree worked and as soon as the presentation was over, all of Hope Valley began to write their wishes down on ornaments and place them on the tree. Soon Elizabeth and Abigail had taken one of the ornaments off of the tree, a request from Robert for a new crib for his new sibling, and then they went into the saloon where Lee and Rosemary already were to keep Lilly warm. The couple smirked at each other. The plan was going so well so far. Rosemary kept looking out the window and finally noticed some red serge hiding behind some buildings. She smiled at Elizabeth and asked, “Oh Elizabeth, would you mind watching Lilly for a few moments? I have to go back home to get something.”  
Elizabeth looked at her confused, “But Lee’s right here,” she pointed to him.  
“Oh come one, she loves it when her Auntie Elizabeth plays peek-a-boo with her,” said Lee taking Lilly from Rosemary.  
“Okay,” smiled Elizabeth, beginning to play with Lillian.  
Rosemary quietly slipped out of the saloon and ran towards the direction of the red serge. She tapped Jack’s shoulder and he turned around and grinned, “It is so good to see you Rosie,” he smiled, hugging her.  
“Good to see you too,” she said.  
“You look great,” commented Jack.  
“Thank you, but right now it’s not about me. So I was thinking, I can make sure Elizabeth is standing right there,” she pointed to the spot, “And that way, you can still hide amongst the buildings, but see to come up behind her.”  
Jack nodded, “Okay, I’ll be waiting right here.”  
Rosemary smiled and squeezed his hand before running back into the saloon where Elizabeth was actively engaging with Lillian. Rosemary took a deep breath and tried to hide her joy when she came up to Elizabeth, “Oh Elizabeth?” Elizabeth looked up at Rosemary, “I don’t think you ever put a wish on the tree.”  
Elizabeth sighed, “I don’t know, it seems that with all of the hardships in this world, my wish would seem trivial compared to what some families are going through this year.”  
“Elizabeth,” said Rosemary, sitting down across from her, “It’s okay to wish for his safety or his homecoming.”  
Elizabeth sighed and choked back a few tears, “I just want him home so badly.”  
“Well, write it down and put it on the tree. Who knows, maybe a Christmas miracle will happen,” said Rosemary, doing her best to hide her sheer grin. Elizabeth nodded and wrote ‘I wish Jack was with me this Christmas' on her ornament. Rosemary grabbed her by the arm and led her outside towards the tree, Lee close behind them with Lillian in his arms. Rosemary smiled as she saw Jack grin with delight when he saw the baby in Lee’s arms, “Well, I’ve said my piece. The rest is up to you,” said Rosemary.  
Lee handed Lilly back to her and then held out his arm, “Shall we?”  
Rosemary nodded and the family of three led themselves away, but Lee and Rosie stayed within earshot, “Auntie Elizabeth is about to get the biggest surprise of her life,” Rosemary cooed to Lillian.  
They watched Elizabeth read her wish one more time before she placed the ornament on the tree. They could hardly contain their excitement when they observed Jack walk up behind her. He laid his hands on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I hope my name is on that ornament.”  
“JACK!” shouted Elizabeth as she rapidly spun around, not quite believing what she was seeing. Her lips quickly plummeted against his and she pulled back, “Please tell me I’m not dreaming.”  
“No, my dear Elizabeth, this is very real,” he confirmed and kissed her again. The Coulters allowed their engaged friends to reunite a few more moments before they walked over to them.  
“You guys knew!” Elizabeth scolded knowingly.  
“And do you know how hard it was to keep it a secret?” asked Rosemary emphatically.  
“Well, it was for her,” smirked Lee.  
Jack smiled at the pair, though his eyes kept glancing towards the baby in her mother’s arms. Rosemary smiled and handed her to Jack, “Jack, this is Lillian.”  
“Well, hi there, Lillian,” said Jack, “Ah, Lee. Rosie, she is just beautiful,” he stated.  
“Well, she definitely will have Lee’s smile,” said Rosemary, gazing lovingly at her husband.  
“But you have Mommy’s eyes,” said Jack to Lilly as he rocked her. She blew a few raspberries before stretching in his arms and falling asleep.  
“She’s not much of a talker yet though,” said Rosemary.  
“Well, with the mother you have, you most certainly will be one day,” he said to Lilly.  
Rosemary glared at Jack and then darted her eyes to her husband when Lee busted out laughing, “And to think we’ve made you the Godfather.”  
Jack looked up shocked, “Godfather?”  
“I didn’t mention it in my letters to you?” asked Rosemary. She could’ve sworn she had.  
Jack shook his head, “No you didn’t. You want me to be the Godfather?” he had a few happy tears in his eyes.  
“Well it only makes sense for the Godmother’s fiancée to be the Godfather,” said Lee wrapping his arm around Rosemary.  
Jack looked over at Elizabeth and she smiled and nodded, “Well, then, Lilly it looks like I’m your Godfather.”  
She started to cry in Jack’s arms and he promptly passed her back to Rosemary, “She probably needs to go home and eat. She has Lee’s appetite.”  
Jack laughed and said, “Well, Elizabeth and I will let you two go then. Maybe we can catch up some other time.”  
The couple nodded and began to head towards their home. Rosemary looked at Lee and suddenly realized Abigail and Elizabeth were right: it didn’t matter how fancy this Christmas was for them. What mattered is everyone in Hope Valley had each other and that’s all that mattered.


	18. Peace

Christmas Eve finally arrived in Hope Valley and the town was hard at work preparing for the Christmas Eve service, Nativity play, and party. Rosemary had spent the morning wrapping her presents for Lee and Lilly. She had ordered the nicest typewriter she could find in the office supply catalog and paid the extra money to make sure it arrived before Christmas. She had also found another ornament in the shape of an L that she placed on the tree next to the heart ornament that had the letters ‘L + R’ engraved on it.  
Lee had given the sawmill workers the day off so it had been nice to be able to wake up in her husband’s arms. Not that she hadn’t slowly adjusted to it being just her and Lilly most of the day, but she missed having Lee around after he had gone back to work. He was currently upstairs entertaining Lilly while she wrapped gifts. She smiled once she had finished wrapping presents and grabbed Lilly’s handful of toys and clothes, writing ‘To Lilly, From Santa’ on the labels. She placed them under the tree and then noticed Lee’s small gift for her was already there. The label read, ‘To Squidget, From Your Honey Bunny’. Rosemary wrinkled her nose but couldn’t help cracking a smile at her stupid nickname. She quickly wrote ‘To my Honey Bunny, From Your Loving Squidget’ on the tag and placed Lee’s gift under the tree. She went upstairs and smiled to herself as she could hear her husband reading to their daughter, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night,” she heard him finish The Night before Christmas. He put the book down and continued to rock with Lillian sitting on his lap, “You know Princess, the big man himself comes tonight. He’s going to slide down the chimney and leave presents under the tree for everyone, but he won’t come until you’re asleep,” he watched his daughter’s eyes get heavier and heavier, “Though that probably won’t be a problem for you, now will it?” Rosemary came in behind him and kissed the top of his head. He looked up at her and smiled, “Hey sweetheart, has everything been wrapped?”  
She nodded, “Santa will have stopped by.”  
Lee nodded and quietly placed Lillian in her crib. He turned to Rosemary, “She should probably start sleeping in here soon. It’s been almost two months.”  
“I know,” Rosemary said, “It’s just so hard to think about her no longer sleeping in our room,” she said as she watched their daughter sleep serenely.  
“You know we’re right down the hall, right?” whispered Lee, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
She grabbed his hand and they went downstairs so Lilly could take her afternoon nap. He sat down on the couch and she sat down next to him, snuggling against his chest, enjoying the moment. He ran his hand up and down her back, “How have you been feeling?” he asked.  
She smiled as she rubbed his chest, “Better. Knowing I have you by my side,” she leaned up to kiss him, “And the Christmas season always puts me in a good mood.”  
“Good,” he said relieved. He was so happy that he was slowly getting his wife back, even if that did mean a house that looked as if Santa had torpedoed through the place and her usual way too perky personality for seven o’clock in the morning. He looked down at Rosemary lying against him and smiled. Despite her flaws (he knew he had flaws too), he loved this woman more than life itself. There was no one else he would want to spend Christmas with more than her and Lillian.  
“Lee?” questioned Rosemary, raising an eyebrow.  
“Hmm?” he questioned.  
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it before looking up at him and saying, “Thank you for putting up with me.” It’s almost like she knew what he was thinking at the moment.  
He kissed her temple and said, “I don’t put up with you. I love you and love is about accepting someone completely for who they are.”  
She smiled and laid her head back down, “Well then, thank you for loving me.”  
Before they knew it, evening had arrived and it was time to head over to church for Christmas Eve services. Rosemary gazed at herself in the mirror in her bright red skirt and matching blouse. She dressed Lilly in a velvet red dress with white fur trim at the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. She started to put a red bow in her daughter’s hair, though she didn’t have much to work with other than a few tuffs of blond curls, “You know baby girl, you don’t have much hair for Mommy to style, you’re aware of that right?” Rosemary finished tying the bow and kissed the top of Lilly’s head, “But that’s okay. Mommy didn’t have much hair as a baby either.”  
Lee came into the nursery fully dressed and glanced between Rosemary and Lillian, “Wow. I didn’t know the dress code included Santa suit red attire,” he joked.  
“Oh Lee, face it, this little Princess won’t be able to wear this adorable dress any other time of the year,” said Rosemary, touching Lillian’s nose.  
Lee smiled and took the baby from Rosemary, “Well, sweet pea, are you ready for your first Christmas Eve?” he asked. She yawned and made a noise, “She’s so excited, she can hardly contain herself.”  
Rosemary chuckled and went to grab her handbag and the diaper bag before they went over to the church where many people were already seated. The three of them sat down next to Elizabeth and Jack towards the front. Elizabeth smiled and touched Lilly’s tiny hand. Frank took his place at the podium and began the service, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria). And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told,” Frank closed his Bible and looked up at the congregation, “Many people here are already familiar with the Christmas story, the story about the birth of our Lord and Savior. Despite him being just an infant, the shepherds and wise men knew he would one day bring peace to the world. This year has been a trying year for Hope Valley. Some of us have just rejoined us for Christmas and some of us have been awaiting their homecoming. Some of us have welcomed new life into this world and others have been battling our own demons in various ways. But we all come together as one family, one faith community, and one town of hope. The hope of success, the hope of comfort, the hope of family, and the hope of a Savior as the Christmas season brings us. And it all started one night in a manger many years ago.”  
Everyone knew that was their cue to begin the Nativity play so Rosemary passed the baby to Lee as Elizabeth helped the children take their places. Rosemary began to play Silent Night as she heard the children reciting the dialogue behind her. She turned around and watched as the children performed, her heart swelling with pride knowing that one day in the near future, her daughter would be joining the Hope Valley children. She glanced over at Lee who was feeding Lilly with one of the bottles while smiling at the adorable kids in front of him. Soon, Mary and Joseph, played by Philip and Opal, entered the room, Opal carrying a small doll representing baby Jesus in her arms. The final song, O Come All Ye Faithful, was sung; once the children had finished, Rosemary got up from her place at the piano and took a now sleeping Lilly back from Lee. The residents heard the door open and in walked Carson dressed as Santa.  
“HO, HO, HO!” he said loudly, taking his place at the front much to the children’s delight, “Merry Christmas, everyone!”  
“Merry Christmas,” everyone said happily, most of the adults chuckling at the town doctor dressed in a red, fur trimmed suit.  
Carson looked around at all the children and spoke, “Wait a minute? Not all of the children of Hope Valley are here. Lilly Coulter, where are you?”  
Rosemary grinned and walked over to Carson. She carefully placed Lillian in his arms, “Now be careful with her, Santa,” she warned lightly.  
“I promise Rosemary, I’ve been watching over her from the North Pole since the day she was born,” he smiled, indicating to Rosemary he would be careful. Rosemary trusted him since he of course was the one who delivered her, “Opal, Robert, Cody, Hattie, Anna, Emily, Laura, Timmy, Phillip, I’ve received word that you all have been very good this year,” they all nodded eagerly and Carson began to hand out toy trains, dolls, baseball bats, and cars. He looked down at Lilly, “And you, Ms. Lilly, get a very special present for a very special first Christmas,” he reached into his bag and found a ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ bear, though Lilly was fast asleep, “Looks like she’s taking the whole Santa only comes when you’re asleep seriously,” everyone chuckled, “I also love that we have matching outfits. Well, I’ve got to make a run for it. I have my sleigh and reindeer waiting on the roof and I have to cover the rest of Canada and the United States,” he stood and handed Lilly back to her mother and handed the bear to Lee, “HO, HO, HO! Merry Christmas everyone!”  
“Thank you! Merry Christmas Santa!” all the children waved happily and Rosemary made Lilly wave as well, “Say ‘Merry Christmas Santa’,” she told her.  
Frank dismissed everyone, “Have good night everyone! Have a blessed Christmas.”  
Everyone nodded and soon began to leave. Rosemary grabbed her things and stopped when Lee didn’t follow her, “Honey, aren’t you coming?”  
“I’ll be over in a few minutes I promise,” he smiled.  
“Okay,” Rosemary nodded, still a little confused. Once she arrived home, she set her bags down and sat down on the sofa, waiting for her husband. Soon she heard a knock at the door. She opened it and her eyes widened. It was Santa, though she was pretty sure it wasn’t Carson in the Santa suit, “Lee?” she chuckled, covering her mouth with her free hand.  
“Yes, Rosie, it’s me,” sighed Lee, though she could tell he had his usual sweet smile underneath the beard.  
“What are you doing dressed as Santa?” asked Rosemary, stepping aside to let him into the house.  
“Well, Elizabeth told me how disappointed you were when you found out that I wasn’t going to be Santa and how much you wanted to watch Lilly sit on Daddy’s lap while dressed as Santa, so I had Carson give me the costume after he was finished at the church. So here I am,” Lee shrugged.  
Rosemary laughed and wiped away a few tears. Lee sat down on the sofa and he took his daughter, “HO, HO, HO,” he did his best impression, though it wasn’t nearly as good as Carson’s had been. Rosemary didn’t care though. Lillian had finally opened her eyes again and she was smiling and cooing back at Lee for the first time. Maybe she really liked Santa or maybe Lilly somehow knew Santa was Daddy, Rosemary didn’t know. All she knew is that she would remember this special Christmas forever. After a few more minutes of interaction, Lee carried Lillian upstairs before handing her back to Rosemary, “You should probably feed her again before bed.”  
Rosemary nodded. She went down to the nursery and changed Lilly back into her sleeper. She fed her and changed her but hesitated before she went to carry her back to the master bedroom. She took a deep breath and placed Lilly in her crib, smiling softly at her little girl with pride, “Sleep tight sweetheart.” She went down to her room where Lee had already changed out of the Santa suit and into pajamas. Rosemary began to change for bed when Lee asked, “Where’s Lilly?”  
Rosemary took a deep breath, “It’s been almost 2 months since she was born. We’ve adjusted to the new routine and she’s sleeping for longer stretches at a time. She doesn’t wake up as many times throughout the night, so I figured it was time for her to start sleeping in her room.”  
Lee nodded. He knew it was a hard decision for Rosemary to leave Lilly in the nursery, but it was probably for the best to start getting used to having their room to themselves again. She crawled in next to him and kissed him, “Thank you for dressing up as Santa for me. And Lilly.” Lee really meant it when he said he would do anything for the two of them.  
He smiled and kissed her temple, “You’re welcome sweetheart.”  
She smiled softly and said, “Je t’aime, Leland Coulter,”  
Lee smiled, as he knew enough French to know ‘je t’aime’ meant ‘I love you’, “I love you too.”


	19. Christmas

Rosemary fluttered her eyes open when the sunlight started peeking through the window. She smiled to herself as she already knew what day it was: Christmas. She stretched a little before rolling over to find a still sleeping Lee snoring next to her. For once she felt well rested, as Lilly had only woken up twice that night instead of 3-4 times a night. She rubbed her hand along his back and whispered, “Wake up sleepy head.”   
He jumped startled at being woken up but rolled over and smiled when he laid eyes on his wife. He lifted himself up with his right arm and stroked her cheek with his left hand. She leaned in to kiss him and he smiled, “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”   
Rosemary felt the wings in her heart flutter the same way they did every time she woke up next to him or laid eyes on him, “Well, what do you say, honey? Should we show Lilly that Santa visited her last night?”  
“I don’t have to dress up as Santa again do I?” he whined jokingly.  
Rosemary chuckled and covered her mouth to stop herself. She shook her head and said, “No, I think last night was enough. Though I will admit, I did enjoy seeing you dressed as Santa,” she smirked and winked.   
Lee smirked and winked back before he got out of bed. He kissed her forehead and said, “I’ll be downstairs waiting.”  
Rosemary nodded, put on her robe and slippers, and went down to the nursery where Lillian was starting to fuss a little,”Hey baby girl, guess what day it is?” she babbled, lifting Lilly into her arms. She laid her on the changing table, “It’s Christmas and I think Santa has left some presents under the tree for you.”   
She carried Lillian down the stairs where Lee had just finished boiling a pot of coffee and warming a bottle, “One cup of coffee for my love,” he kissed Rosie’s cheek and set the mug down on the table, “And one bottle of milk for my other love,” he kissed Lillian’s head and handed Rosemary the bottle. She offered it to Lilly who promptly began to eat. Lee brought all of the presents over to the table, “Looks like Santa stopped by last night, Little Flower,” he cooed at Lilly.   
Lilly grunted as she finished chugging the milk and Rosemary patted her back gently, “Well baby girl, let’s see what Santa brought you,” she smiled, though she knew what was in the packages. Lee and Rosemary slowly opened the presents, showing off the rattle, a light purple and a hot pink dress, and a few stuffed bears, bunny rabbits, cats, and dogs. Lilly genuinely seemed a bit more interested in the boxes than any of the toys. Rosemary slid Lee’s present towards him and smiled eagerly, “Open it honey!”  
Lee read the label and laughed. She had obviously read his tag before she wrote it down. He unwrapped the typewriter and smiled broadly, “Oh wow, I’ve been looking at new typewriters for months but haven’t been able to get one,” he kissed Rosemary, “Very thoughtful sweetheart.”  
“It took me awhile to decide on a gift, but it finally hit me what I should get you. I’ve been really preoccupied,” said Rosemary sadly.  
Lee took Lillian into his arms and said, “Don’t worry sweetheart, no matter what you got me for Christmas, it would’ve been second to my favorite gift you gave me last month,” he smiled, stroking Lillian’s cheek.   
“But I wanted to do something special,” smiled Rosemary, rubbing Lilly’s hand, “You put up with me puking and crying and eating everything in sight and complaining about aching body parts I didn’t even know could hurt,” listed Rosemary, “Not to mention me screaming unladylike words at you the day she was born.”   
Lee chuckled, barely suppressing a grin, “But I also vowed to stay with you for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, ‘til death do us part,” he smiled at Lilly, “Not that you were sick.”  
“My first trimester self begs to differ,” she joked.   
Lee sighed, knowing Rosemary was probably right in this case, “But in the end, all of your misery was worth it.”  
Rosemary smiled and rubbed Lillian’s face, “You are worth it, aren’t you sweet pea?”   
Lee handed a small gift to Rosemary, “Open it sweetheart.”  
Rosemary grinned and quickly unwrapped the small box. Inside was a gold necklace with a heart shaped pendant. The letter ‘R’ was engraved in the center, “Lee, it’s beautiful,” she said with tears in her eyes. She kissed him and smiled, “I love it!”  
“Good,” he said satisfied, “Well sweet pea, Uncle Jack and Auntie Elizabeth are coming over this afternoon, so should we go get ready?” he asked Lillian.  
Rosemary smiled as Lee interacted with their daughter, “Come here, sweetheart,” she took Lillian from Lee. She carried Lillian up the stairs with Lee close behind her, “Uncle Jack and Auntie Elizabeth are getting married in a few months and the whole town is really happy for them.” She happily dressed Lilly in a dress with a black velvet top and black and red plaid on the skirt. She put the red bow back in her hair and placed her in her bassinet in the master bedroom, “Stay there baby girl,” cooed Rosemary and then shook her head, feeling a little stupid. Of course, Lilly wouldn’t be going anywhere as of yet. She pulled her blue velvet dress out of the closet and laid it on the bed. She quickly pulled on her stockings and laced her corset before she hesitantly pulled on the dress, “Okay, baby girl, this will be the moment of truth,” she whispered more for herself than to Lilly, “Lee, sweetheart?”  
Lee came into the room as he finished tying his tie, “Yes?”  
“Could you help me zip my dress?” she asked nervously.  
Lee nodded, as he knew what Rosemary said was code for ‘help me see if I fit into the dress’. He walked over and zipped it up and then held his hands up, “Can you breathe?” he asked uncertainly.   
Rosemary took a deep breath and nothing was too tight or tearing with movement. She turned around and did little happy dance with Lee, “Oh Lee…”  
Lee held up his finger to her mouth, quieting her, “Shush Rosie. I’ve told you, you’re beautiful no matter what.”  
Rosemary embraced him and said, “You make me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world,” she kissed him on the cheek and had him help her put on her new necklace. She walked back over to Lillian, “Well, baby girl, you ready for your first Christmas?” asked Rosemary excitedly, lifting Lillian into her arms . She went to leave and then turned around, pointing to the bassinet, “Oh babe…”  
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” he smiled.  
It wasn’t long before Jack and Elizabeth arrived so the Coulters happily answered the door, “Merry Christmas everyone,” said Jack happily.  
“Merry Christmas,” said Rosemary happily, embracing Elizabeth and then Jack, being careful not to injure Lilly in her arms. Elizabeth gave Rosemary puppy dog eyes and Rosemary rolled her green ones before she passed Lilly to Elizabeth, “Go to Auntie Elizabeth.”   
Elizabeth grinned ecstatically as she eagerly took her Goddaughter into her arms. Jack and she immediately began interacting with Lillian, making the infant coo and smile at them. Lee and Rosie glanced at each other and chuckled. After their friends got married, they figured it wouldn’t be long before Lilly had a playmate, “So, come on in. We’ve started dinner but it might be awhile yet before it’s ready,” said Lee.  
“That’s okay, we can wait. Right cutie pie?” Elizabeth babbled at Lilly. Lilly smiled and made a few noises, “Yeah, we’re okay.”  
Jack stopped Lee before they both fully went into the house. He had a concerned look in his eyes, “So, how’s she doing?” asked Jack worriedly. Lee looked at Jack confused, “With the depression,” Jack clarified.   
Lee smiled softly, “She’s still seeing someone weekly, but she’s doing well,” he answered, “Dr. Brown says he might scale the visits back to bi-weekly starting next month.”   
“Good,” Jack said relieved, “I hadn’t even heard of postpartum depression until she wrote to me saying she had it.”   
“It’s been rough, but we’re getting through it together,” admitted Lee honestly.  
Jack nodded and then looked over at the sofa where Elizabeth was playing peek-a-boo with Lilly who was sitting on Rosie’s lap, “My fiancée on the other hand,” smirked Jack.  
Lee laughed lightly as he followed his friend further into the living room. Rosemary handed the baby to Lee and kissed him on the cheek, “Oh Elizabeth, could you help me get the rest of the food ready?”   
“Sure,” Elizabeth answered following Rosemary to the kitchen area, “She is such an angel,” Elizabeth commented about Lilly.  
“She is, most of the time,” smiled Rosemary proudly as she watched Jack helping Lilly play with her new rattle, “Except when she wants to eat at two in the morning. Then I’m thinking some less than polite phrases in my head.”   
Elizabeth chuckled, “I mean, that’s just how babies are.”  
“Yeah, I know,” nodded Rosemary, “It’s just hard to function on three hours of sleep sometimes. You’ll probably know soon enough.”  
“Yeah,” sighed Elizabeth watching her fiancée interacting with their Goddaughter, “But I honestly can’t wait.”  
“Still willing to give Jack ten kids?” asked Rosemary jokingly.   
Elizabeth glared amusingly but then shook her head, “Um, no. We’ve talked some more and we’ve settled on four at the most.”  
Rosemary took the chicken out of the oven and set it on the table while Elizabeth placed the mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and biscuits behind her, “Gentlemen,” Rosemary sing songed. Jack and Lee looked over at them, “Dinner is served,” she gestured towards the meal.  
They smiled and Lee placed Lilly in her bassinet before joining his wife and their friends, “Think she’ll be alright?”   
“I’ll feed her after dinner unless she gets too fussy,” informed Rosemary. The two couples linked hands in prayer before they began to eat.   
“So, how’s Lillian’s first month of life been?” asked Jack.  
“She eats, she poops, she sleeps, and she lies around and looks cute,” answered Lee.  
“That just about covers it,” said Rosemary, “Oh, and she loves her Auntie Elizabeth.”  
“Well, you always have had a way with children,” said Jack, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand.   
“It’s what makes you a good teacher,” said Rosemary.   
“Lilly will be lucky to be taught by you,” said Lee.  
“Whoa, Leland, she’s only a couple months old. Don’t make her grow up so fast!” scolded Rosemary. Jack and Elizabeth smirked at each other. Clearly, Rosemary was adjusting to motherhood and quickly becoming a protective Mama Bear. After dinner, Lee and Jack went to play catch outside while Rosemary and Elizabeth cleaned the dishes, “Alright little one, are you hungry?” asked Rosemary in a baby voice to Lillian. Rosemary offered the bottle to Lilly and the two women sat down on the love seat. Rosemary looked up at Elizabeth and said, “I’m sorry we really didn’t get you anything, I mean, other than the obvious surprise,” she motioned towards the door, “It’s been really stressful around here lately.”  
“Oh Rosemary, I understand completely,” said Elizabeth, patting Rosemary’s shoulder, “New motherhood is a huge change without everything you’ve been going through and you’ve had to deal with depression on top of that. You’ve been the strongest woman in Hope Valley.”  
Rosemary gazed at the baby in her arms, “I still feel I need to make it up to Lee. He liked my gift for him and of course this gift, but we haven’t seen each other much since he’s gone back to work.”  
“Well, have you both had time alone together?” questioned Elizabeth softly.   
“Well, I mean, she falls asleep around eight and we don’t usually turn in until ten or eleven, plus the fact that she’ll be sleeping in the nursery now, so we do get to talk about our days…”  
“No, Rosemary,” interrupted Elizabeth, “I meant, time alone together,” she bobbed her head playfully.   
“Oh,” Rosemary thought about it carefully. She took a deep breath and answered, “Well, Dr. Shepherd mentioned to wait several weeks after she was born before being intimate plus with my depression I didn’t want to. She’s been sleeping in our room, so we really haven’t since my second trimester when we were going at it like…”  
“Okay, Rosemary, a simple yes or no would’ve been sufficient. I don’t need all the details,” scolded Elizabeth, her face the picture of disgust. Honestly, sometimes Rosemary liked to talk a little _too_ much.  
Rosemary snickered, “Sorry.”   
“Well, I was wondering, as a late Christmas present to you and Lee, would you be interested in letting me watch Lilly for a few hours while you both had an evening baby free?” asked Elizabeth hesitantly.  
Rosemary looked up at her friend and then back down at her daughter, suckling away at the bottle, “Well, I guess that is what Godparents are for.”  
“If you don’t want to or you want to talk to Lee first, that’s fine. It was just an offer,” shrugged Elizabeth.  
Rosemary thought about it. Her husband and she were defiantly getting a little…frustrated with Lilly’s constant need for attention, “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”  
Lee and Jack came back into the house and Jack came over to Elizabeth, “Well I’m going to turn in for the night. Thanks for the invitation Lee, Rosie,” he waved, “Merry Christmas.”  
“Merry Christmas,” they called.  
“Merry Christmas, Lilly,” he cooed at the infant before he left.  
“Well, I should probably be getting home too,” Elizabeth stood, “Thanks for a great Christmas,” Elizabeth hugged them both.  
They nodded as Elizabeth left. Lee looked at the time and said, “Well, I guess we should probably get her ready for bed.”  
Rosemary nodded and they took Lilly upstairs, quietly changing her into a sleeper before placing her in her crib. They both changed and crawled into bed. Lee kissed her and said, “I know you were nervous with it being our first Christmas as parents, but I think you made our family proud.”  
Rosemary smiled, “Even if Lilly won’t remember a single aspect of it?”  
“Even then,” confirmed Lee and kissed her.   
He deepened the kiss a little but Rosemary stopped him, “Lee, wait,” he stopped and looked into her eyes. She smiled a little and said, “I think I probably know the answer to this question, but Elizabeth offered to watch Lilly for a few hours one evening so we could have some time alone together. Is that okay with you?”  
Lee kissed her temple but raised an eyebrow, “Is this truly to help us, or is it an ulterior motive of her’s to spend more time with Lillian?”  
Rosemary chuckled lightly, “Probably both, but it works in our favor. So what do you say honey? Is it a date?”   
Lee smiled and kissed her again, “It’s a date.”   
“Good,” she smiled and cuddled next to him, “Merry Christmas sweetheart.”  
“Merry Christmas Rosie. I love you so much.”


	20. Date Night

Lee sat in the nursery rocking Lillian and reading to her while he waited for Rosemary to finish getting ready. He closed the book and looked down at his daughter in his lap, “Your Mommy takes a really long time to get ready,” he commented to her. He placed Lilly down in her crib and went down the hall, only to find their bedroom door closed. He knocked softly, “Rosie?”  
“I’ll be out soon, honey,” she called from the other side.  
Lee looked at his watch, “Sweetheart, you do realize our dinner reservations are at seven and it’s now quarter of six. It takes an hour to get to Calgary in the Model T.”  
He heard her moving around on the other side of the door, “Okay, I’m ready.”  
Lee opened the door and observed his wife in front of him. She was wearing a floor length emerald green dress that had some sparkles in it. The shade of green really brought out the green in her eyes. Her long, blond locks were curled and a few of the front ones were framing her face. Lee choked back a few tears as he entered the room. He took her hands in his and smiled, “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”  
Rosemary gazed at him in his neatly pressed navy blue suit with a royal blue sweater vest underneath it. She squeezed his hands and smiled, “Thank you for ditching the plaid pants for tonight.”  
He chuckled and kissed her, “You’re welcome.” He knew how much Rosemary hated them deep down, but she would never dare say it because they were a minor fault in her mind, “This dress really brings out your eyes,” he said, stroking her cheek lovingly.  
Rosemary held back a few tears of her own, attempting to keep her make-up intact, “I made it just for tonight.”  
“Well, should we drop Lilly off and get going?” he asked gently. Rosemary nodded softly and went down to the nursery. She cradled her daughter in her arms as a few tears fell down her cheeks, “Are you okay, Rosie?”  
Rosemary nodded, “Yeah,” she confirmed softly, “Just that for such a long time after she was born, all I wished for was for it to be just the two of us again. Now that we’re getting an evening to ourselves, I can’t stand the thought of leaving her,” she smiled as two sets of green eyes gazed at each other.  
Lee kissed her temple and rubbed Lilly’s head, “But she will be in good hands tonight.”  
“Yeah,” Rosemary sighed, “Well, I guess we should get going. I packed of bag of supplies over there, but we still need to get a few bottles,” said Rosemary, pointing to a bag by the dresser. Lee grabbed the bag and then some bottles before they went next door.  
Rosemary knocked and Jack answered the door, “Hey Rosie, Lee,” he greeted, “Hi there, Ms. Lilly,” he smiled happily, taking the infant into his arms.  
They entered the house and Lee handed the bag to Elizabeth, “All of Lilly’s stuff is in there.”  
“Okay, there’s diapers, wipes, bottles, a sleeper, an extra sleeper, her blanket, Lee brought the bassinet over earlier, Brownie Jr.…” listed Rosemary.  
“Brownie Jr.?”questioned Jack, raising an eyebrow.  
“That was Opal’s present for the baby at her shower,” said Elizabeth.  
“I figured,” chuckled Jack.  
“If something happens to her, send a telegram to the restaurant immediately and take her to the infirmary. We’ll drive back ASAP,” said Rosemary, a hint of panic in her voice.  
“Rosie,” said Jack, laying his hands on her shoulders to get her attention, “Lilly’s in good hands. Trust me,” he smiled proudly at Elizabeth, who was bouncing Lilly in her arms.  
“Okay,” sighed Rosemary. She took Lillian back from Elizabeth, “Well, my little angel, you’re going to spend a few hours with Uncle Jack and Auntie Elizabeth. I love you, sweetheart,” she kissed the top of Lilly’s head.  
Lee rubbed Lillian’s cheek and kissed the top of her head as well, “I love you, Princess,” he said before Rosemary reluctantly handed Lillian back to Elizabeth.  
The couple went to leave and Jack smirked at the pair, “No baby talk, you two.”  
“We have other things to talk about besides the baby, Jack,” said Lee.  
They left and Jack glanced over at Elizabeth, “So, do you think they can get through a whole evening without talking about the baby?”  
“Not a chance,” laughed Elizabeth. She smiled proudly at her Goddaughter, “But who could blame them?”  
******************************************************************************  
Once Lee and Rosemary arrived at the restaurant in Calgary, it took them a few minutes to get a decent conversation going. Rosemary had no idea why her mind had gone blank; normally, once she started talking, she could go on forever, “So, how are things going at the saw mill?” she asked curiously.  
Lee raised his eyebrows over the menu and asked, “You’re actually interested about the saw mill?” she shrugged and he answered, “Well, I’m about to make a deal on lumber for a few new buildings in Winnipeg. I think I’ll have Murphy and a few of the other men deliver the lumber for me.”  
Rosemary nodded and took a sip of wine. Lee had ordered her favorite, but even that hadn’t calmed her nerves about leaving Lillian behind. She finally took a deep breath and asked, “Honey, do you think Lillian is doing alright?”  
“Rosemary,” said Lee taking her hand, “It’s Elizabeth. Lillian is in good hands, you know that,” he assured her, though his heart secretly leapt with joy over the fact that she now showed so much more interest in Lillian than she had initially.  
“I know,” she said, “Just hard not to worry about her. But I know you’ll be very upset if this evening doesn’t end a certain way so…”  
Lee smirked, “If it’s any consolation, I’m worried about her too.”  
She squeezed his hand, “Guess it’s just the nature of being parents.”  
******************************************************************************  
Meanwhile, back at Elizabeth’s house, Elizabeth was having the time of her life watching Lillian. Jack couldn’t help but smile proudly at his fiancée. If she doted this much on their Goddaughter, he couldn’t imagine what she would be like when it was their children. He sat down next to her on the sofa and kissed her temple while she fed Lilly, “You’re so good with her.”  
“What can I say? She’s a sweet little girl,” responded Elizabeth, “She definitely has Lee’s personality at this point.”  
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Jack joked.  
“But we’ll still love you either way,” said Elizabeth.  
Lilly finished her bottle and started to whimper, “Can I do it?” asked Jack, holding out his arms for Lilly.  
“Yeah, of course,” said Elizabeth digging through the bag for towel and handing it to Jack. He took the baby from Elizabeth and began to gently pat Lilly’s back. Watching Jack with the baby made Elizabeth feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Of course, she remembered the time when Jack had been cradling one of Carla Noonan’s newborn twins, but somehow, right now, Elizabeth was fascinated. Deep down, she knew that soon she would be watching Jack with their little boy or girl, “Just think, honey, someday, hopefully soon, this will be our baby.”  
“Yeah,” smiled Jack. He took a deep breath, “I have to go back to the Northern Territories in a few days. But I should be back home by Valentine’s Day.”  
“Permanently?” asked Elizabeth hopefully.  
“Permanently,” Jack smiled. He stopped his motion when he heard the infant on his shoulder burp. He set Lilly down in her bassinet.  
“Oh Jack,” said Elizabeth happily, snaking her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms her waist. They kissed passionately and rubbed their noses against each other, “We’ll finally be able to start our life together.”  
“I can hardly wait,” smiled Jack. The couple heard noise outside and Jack peeked out the window, “Looks like Lee and Rosie are home from dinner,” he observed, “And they’re going straight into their house,” he said amusingly.  
Elizabeth barely held in a laugh, “Jack, I don’t care how good of friends you and Rosie or you and Lee are. Some things should be left unsaid. Now how about a game of peek-a-boo, Sweetie Pie,” Elizabeth cooed at Lilly. She giggled a little and Elizabeth said, “Sounds like a plan.”  
******************************************************************************  
Around nine o’clock, Jack and Elizabeth heard a knock at the door. Elizabeth put down the book she was reading and went to answer it, Lee standing on the other side, “Hi,” Lee said softly.  
“Hi,” Elizabeth answered, “The baby’s asleep, but she’ll probably need a diaper change.”  
Lee nodded and gently cradled Lillian in his arms. Jack carried the bassinet and the diaper bag back over to their house, “So, was she well behaved?” asked Lee.  
Jack nodded, “Don’t worry. Elizabeth is always more than willing to babysit.”  
“I figured,” said Lee.  
“So, I’m guessing you both enjoyed the evening,” asked Jack.  
Lee nodded, slightly confused, but answered, “Yes, but we missed Lilly.”  
Jack was about to say something sarcastic, but decided to heed Elizabeth’s warning instead, “Well, have a good night,” said Jack.  
“Thanks for watching her,” said Lee. Lee carried his daughter upstairs and changed her diaper, being careful not to wake her. He placed her in her crib before going back to the master bedroom. It looked as if Rosemary was asleep, though he knew she wasn’t, “I know you’re not asleep,” he commented dryly.  
Rosemary opened one eye and grinned coyly, “No fooling you. How is she?”  
“She’s asleep, but it looked like they used all of the bottles so you’ll have to feed her tonight,” he said, undressing and crawling into bed again.  
Rosemary nodded and snuggled next to him, “Yeah, but we needed this night,” she admitted. She leaned up and kissed him, “Sometimes you just need a night with your best friend.”  
Lee smiled and kissed her back. He gazed into her eyes and stroked his thumb over her cheek, “Good thing I married mine.”  
“I’m glad I did too,” she replied.


	21. Sleepover

A few days later, Jack went back to the Northern Territories, which was difficult for both Elizabeth and Rosemary. Both women took comfort in the fact that in a few weeks he would be home permanently. Of course, both women had their hands full with work and child rearing as Elizabeth was watching Opal again since her parents had to go visit her grandmother and Rosemary of course had Lilly. Though Elizabeth was watching Opal, she was also more than willing to spend time with Lillian as well.  
One day at school, Elizabeth had sent the students outside for recess and she was working on grading their math tests when she heard Opal shouting, “I AM NOT!”  
Elizabeth jerked her head up and set her pencil down and ran outside, only to hear a few of the other girls singing, “Teacher’s Pet! Teacher’s Pet!”  
“Girls, girls!” scolded Elizabeth, breaking up the teasing, “That is not a nice thing to call someone. Now apologize to Opal.”  
Laura, Emily, Hattie, and Anna looked at each other and then at Opal, “Sorry Opal,” they all apologized.  
“Now, play nice,” said Elizabeth, going back inside the church. A few moments later, she noticed all the girls standing in front of her, “What is it girls?”  
“Well…” started Anna, “With you taking care of Opal so much, the rest of us feel kind of…left out,” she admitted.  
“I know,” soothed Elizabeth, “But it’s just until her parents get back into town.”  
“We were wondering if we could all spend some more time together?” asked Anna hesitantly.  
“Well, what did you have in mind?” asked Elizabeth, giving the girls her full attention.  
“Can we have a sleepover at your house?” asked Emily hopefully.  
“Um…I mean…” stuttered Elizabeth.  
“Please, Ms. Thatcher? We know you feeling lonely with Mountie Jack away up north,” pleaded Emily, “And we could ask our Moms if it’s okay. We’ll be good we promise.”  
“Well,” said Elizabeth, “If it’s okay with your mothers, then it’s okay with me. How about this Friday night?”  
The girls looked at each other excitedly, “Do you think Mrs. Coulter could bring the baby that way all of the Hope Valley girls are there?” asked Laura.  
“Uh, I can ask her and see if she’ll drop by, but I don’t think Lilly is quite old enough for a sleepover,” placated Elizabeth.  
“My brothers say babies don’t sleep through the night,” said Emily.  
Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, “No, they don’t at first but they learn. Now recess is almost over, so why don’t you go get the boys for me.”  
After the school day had finished, Elizabeth dropped off her things at her house and went next door to talk to Rosemary. Rosemary answered the door after a few moments and smiled, “Elizabeth, what a pleasant surprise!”  
“Hi Rosemary,” Elizabeth greeted, stepping into the house once Rosemary moved aside. She looked around the room before Rosemary said, “She’s upstairs sleeping.”  
“You know me too well,” said Elizabeth.  
“What did you want to talk about? And if it’s another offer to watch Lilly, then Lee and I do not need as much alone time as you’re offering us,” said Rosemary.  
Elizabeth snickered and covered her mouth before she shook her head, “No, actually I was wondering if you could stop by my house on Friday?”  
Rosemary raised her eyebrows, “Really? What for?”  
Elizabeth sighed, “Since, I’ve been watching Opal so much, the other girls have been feeling really left out. So, to make up for it, we’re going to have a sleepover at my house on Friday. They wanted to know if you could stop by with Lilly.”  
“Oh,” said Rosemary.  
“You wouldn’t have to stay long,” assured Elizabeth.  
“No, it sounds fun, just that Lilly is starting to become a little more aware of things and she really prefers me and Lee over other people,” admitted Rosemary, “She’s usually fine at church, but I don’t know how she’d do with all of those other children,” she shuttered.  
“Rosemary,” chuckled Elizabeth. Clearly Rosemary’s disdain for children other than Lilly was still evident, “I’ll make sure they behave.”  
“Okay,” Rosemary sighed, visibly relieved, “Then we’ll see you all Friday night.”  
******************************************************************************  
Friday arrived and Elizabeth set up an area in her living room for the girls to sleep. Once they had all arrived at her house, she made sure she had plenty of activities planned so they would be entertained. They spent the night doing crafts, playing games, and singing songs. Elizabeth looked at the time and wondered what was taking Rosemary so long. It was getting close to the time she was hoping to put the girls to sleep and she still hadn’t arrived. Elizabeth supposed the baby wasn’t cooperating. The students asked to sing another song so Elizabeth sat down on the floor and sang with them, “Let’s sing it again!” said Opal happily.  
“Opal, we’ve just sung it three times. How about we do something else,” said Elizabeth.  
“I know what we can do,” said Anna, grinning mischievously, “PILLOW FIGHT!” she shouted as the girls charged at Elizabeth with their pillows.  
Finally, the door opened and in walked Rosemary, doing her best to balance Lilly and a cake at the same time, “SURPRISE!” she smiled happily.  
“ROSEMARY!” they all shouted excitedly.  
“Is that for us?” asked Emily.  
“Indeed it is. I just couldn’t help but overhear all of the fun you all were having so I decided to drop off one of my special desserts, chocolate cherry.”  
“Are we going to have chocolate cherry cake at your wedding to Mountie Jack?” asked Opal.  
“OOOHHHHH!” all the girls responded.  
Elizabeth blushed in embarrassment and Rosemary chuckled lightly, “I haven’t decided yet. Emily, would you take the cake into the kitchen and get some plates?”  
“Sure,” said Emily, "Come on."  
“Can we make hot chocolate too?” asked Anna.  
“Why not,” answered Elizabeth. Rosemary handed the cake to Anna and everyone left Elizabeth and Rosemary alone.  
“That’s so sweet of you to bring the cake,” said Elizabeth, “But why didn’t you have Lee help you bring stuff over?”  
Rosemary rolled her eyes playfully, “He’s at the saloon with Jesse, Hickam, and Bill. A guy’s poker night.”  
“Got you,” said Elizabeth,  
“I hope we’re in time for make-up and manicures,” said Rosemary cheerily.  
“I was actually hoping for bedtime story and light’s out,” responded Elizabeth.  
“Understandable,” said Rosemary, smiling at Lilly, "But it's good to see you having a good time."  
“Oh did I tell you that Opal’s parents should be home in a few days. Her grandmother’s doing much better,” informed Elizabeth.  
“That’s wonderful news,” said Rosemary.  
“But to be honest, I’m really going to miss having little Opal around here. It’s really helped to take my mind off of things.”  
“Elizabeth,” said Rosemary lightly, “You and I both know that Jack wouldn’t want you to sit around pining away. You’re allowed to have a little fun.”  
“I know,” said Elizabeth, “Listen, Rosemary, I know you’ve scaled back your time at the dress shop for obvious reasons, but there is one thing that I really want you to do. I really want you to design my wedding gown.”  
“Thank you, that means a lot. You’re going to make an absolutely beautiful bride,” Rosemary held back a few tears.  
“Thanks,” acknowledged Elizabeth, “I just can’t think about it right now. Not until I know Jack’s safe and on his way home.”  
Rosemary nodded understandingly, “Elizabeth, you’ve been by my side throughout all of last year. I’m here if you need me. For anything. If it’s one thing I’ve learned from this whole postpartum experience, it’s that you can’t bottle up your feelings.”  
Elizabeth sighed, “That means everything.”  
Rosemary smiled, “Now, let’s have some cake. AND hot chocolate.”  
Elizabeth chuckled and the group of three joined the other girls in the kitchen. Elizabeth cut the cake and made hot chocolate for everyone. After they had finished and washed the dishes, Laura looked up at Rosemary, “Can I hold Lilly?” she asked sweetly.  
Rosemary smiled and nodded, “Just wash your hands first, then go sit down on the couch and I’ll show you how to hold her,” Laura nodded and all the girls went back into the living room, “Now, you always have to support her head and neck,” Rosemary demonstrated, “It’s best if you rest her head just inside the crook of your arm.”  
Laura nodded her understanding and Rosemary carefully slid the baby into Laura’s arms. Laura gazed at Lillian and looked up at Rosemary, “Lilly has your eyes, Mrs. Coulter.”  
“Yeah, she looks just like me when I was a baby,” said Rosemary.  
Hattie stroked Lillian’s head softly and then glanced at Rosemary, “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mrs. Coulter. My mother and I have been praying for you.”  
Rosemary held back a few tears, “Thank you, Hattie. That means a lot.” Elizabeth hadn’t given too many details about Rosemary’s condition; she had just said that Mrs. Coulter had something that made her feel sad a lot but she was seeing someone to make her feel better. The children knew that meant their teacher wasn’t going to give a lot of information and they respected Rosemary’s privacy.  
“Are you and Mountie Jack going to have babies, Ms. Thatcher?” asked Opal.  
“I don’t know, Opal. Mountie Jack and I want to have a baby but we’ll see what God has in store for us,” admitted Elizabeth. Rosemary barely held in a laugh. She knew how much Elizabeth wanted a baby based on her interactions with Lillian.  
Lillian started to cry and Laura gained a worried look, “Did I do something wrong?”  
“No sweetheart. You didn’t do anything wrong. She just needs to eat and then it’s her bedtime,” said Rosemary, cradling Lilly in her arms, “I better take her home. I think she’s received enough attention for the night.”  
“Speaking of bedtime, I think it would be a good thing if you all got settled for the night,” said Elizabeth.  
“Alright,” they sighed, “Bye Rosemary!” they all waved.  
“Say ‘Bye everyone’,” Rosemary tried to make Lilly wave, but Lilly went from soft crying to loud screaming, “I better take her home.”  
Elizabeth kissed the top of Lilly’s head, “Go, I think she did pretty well for tonight. She deserves some Mommy time,” she smiled.  
Rosemary nodded and rushed home as quickly as she could. She could hear Lee was home and in their room, so Rosemary went to the nursery, quickly settling Lilly into her arms, “Okay, baby girl, let’s let you eat so Mommy can get you ready for bed,” she said quietly.  
Lee came in and walked over to Rosemary. He kissed the top of her head and touched Lilly’s foot, “How’d she do? I know she prefers you, me, Jack, or Elizabeth.”  
“She did well,” sighed Rosemary with relief, “In fact, I think she might have even enjoyed the attention a little,” she smirked.  
“Oh no, Hope Valley’s in trouble,” joked Lee.  
“Leland Coulter, what is that supposed to mean?” grinned Rosemary.  
“Just saying, maybe she’s more like her Mommy than we originally thought,” he whispered and then quickly left the room.  
“Lee!” she squealed amusingly though he was long gone. Once Lilly was finished, Rosemary placed her on the changing table and changed her diaper. She dressed Lilly in her sleeper and began to rock her to sleep, “You know, baby girl, your Daddy is very silly. And he usually regrets it when he insults Mommy,” she said in a soothing baby voice. Lilly’s eyes began to get heavier and heavier until she was fast asleep. Rosemary kissed her forehead and put her in her crib, “But that’s okay. I love your Daddy very much. He gave me you.”


	22. The Letter

January came and went and February arrived in Hope Valley. Lillian was now three months old and was becoming more interactive every day. She was able to smile, babble, and attempt to imitate the sounds Lee and Rosie made at her. She was also starting to recognize faces, so her smiles would beome even bigger when she saw Lee, Rosemary, Elizabeth, or Abigail. Overall, even though it had been a trying few months with Rosemary’s depression and adjusting to a new routine, the couple was coming out stronger because of the ordeals.  
Rosemary woke up one morning and rolled over but didn’t find Lee next to her. He had been going into work a little earlier that way he could be home around three instead of closer to six. Rosemary got out of bed and went down the hall to the nursery, smiling softly at her little girl, “Good morning, Lilly Bug,” she cooed. Lilly smiled and made a few noises, reaching up for Rosemary. Rosemary took comfort in the fact that her daughter was starting to recognize her face and voice. It reassured her that Lilly did indeed love her, even if it was only in her own baby way at the moment, “Come here, baby girl,” she lifted her into her arms and went to change her diaper. She settled her into her arms to feed her breakfast. The mother and daughter rocked back and forth as Lilly ate, “So what do you say Lilly Bug? How about we do some laundry then change the sheets? And by we, I mean me and you lie there kicking and babbling,” she chuckled. She burped Lilly once she was finished eating and dressed her before she kissed the top of her head and placed her back in her crib. Rosemary went to freshen up and change before she changed the sheets and prepared the dirty laundry to be washed. She quietly checked on Lilly who had fallen asleep, so she went outside to hang up the laundry, carefully listening for any cries from Lilly.  
Rosemary went inside and was just about to start lunch for herself when she noticed Lee’s lunch pail sitting on the dining room table, “Lee,” she chuckled to herself, “Do you ever remember your lunch?” she went back upstairs where Lilly was starting to whimper so Rosie changed and fed her again before she said, “Well, it looks you and I are going to take a trip to the sawmill to see Daddy,” she babbled, bundling the two of them up and putting Lilly in her sling. She swung the diaper bag up onto her shoulder and grabbed Lee’s lunch before she made her way over to the sawmill. Thankfully Lee’s office was away from where most of the saw dust was produced.  
Hickam was outside and smiled and nodded when he saw Rosemary, “Afternoon, Mrs. Coulter.”  
“Hickam, is Lee in his office?” asked Rosemary, “Because he forgot this for the umpteenth time,” she joked, holding up the pail.  
“Yeah, he should be,” affirmed Hickam.  
Rosemary knocked on the door and heard her husband call, “Come in,” she quietly opened the door and smiled, “Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here?”  
Rosemary smiled and placed his lunch on his desk, “You forgot something. Again,” she joked.  
Lee sighed and looked at her, “I didn’t even realize…” he came around and placed his hands on her shoulders, “What would I do without you?”  
“Starve, just like her,” she joked gesturing towards the infant in her arms. At this point, Lilly was smiling and cooing at Lee.  
“Hey there, Princess,” he smiled and kissed her forehead, “Daddy can be a little forgetful sometimes. Thanks for bringing me my lunch. Again. I should be home in a few hours,” he kissed Rosemary, “I love you.”  
“I love you too,” she kissed him back.  
Lilly made a few sounds in Rosemary’s arms and Lee bent down to her level, “Daddy loves you too, sweetheart.”  
“Come on, Honey Bunny, let’s go home,” said Rosemary, rubbing Lilly’s back. Lillian made a few more happy noises and Rosemary smirked at Lee, “See. She likes it when I call her Honey Bunny.”  
“Rosie,” warned Lee, though she could tell he was joking.  
“I’ll see you tonight, honey,” smiled Rosemary as she left. She saw Elizabeth coming out of the mercantile, “Elizabeth!” she called.  
Elizabeth turned to Rosemary and smiled softly, “Hi Rosemary.”  
“Is everything alright, Elizabeth?” asked Rosemary concerned.  
“Yeah, just have to get back to school. Molly agreed to watch them briefly while I picked up my mail,” said Elizabeth.  
“Oh, of course, dear,” said Rosemary. Elizabeth started to walk towards the church and Rosemary stopped her, “Elizabeth, wait!” Elizabeth turned around to face Rosemary. Rosemary could tell Elizabeth was having a bad day, “Did you want to come over for dinner tonight?”  
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, “Would that be okay with Lee?”  
“Oh of course it would,” smiled Rosemary, “As long as he’s eating, Lee’s usually happy.”  
Elizabeth chuckled, “Okay, I’ll see you at dinnertime then.”  
Rosemary smiled and headed home. She took Lilly upstairs so Lilly could take her afternoon nap and a few hours later, Lee arrived home. He smiled when he saw his beautiful wife reading and kissed her on the head, “Hi sweetheart.”  
Rosemary put the book down as he sat next to her, “Hi,” she smiled.  
“How’s the baby?” he asked, wrapping his arm around Rosemary as she leaned into him.  
“She’s good, sleeping,” responded Rosemary, “Though I’ll probably have to go feed her in a few minutes and start dinner before Elizabeth gets here.”  
“Elizabeth is coming over?” asked Lee, raising his eyebrows.  
“Yeah,” Rosemary sat up, “I ran into her on the way home from the mill. She’s having one of her bad days, Lee. I had to do something to help her.”  
Lee smiled and kissed, “It’s just that big heart of yours,” they both heard the baby cry and the couple untangled from each other, “I’ll let you go.”  
Rosemary went to feed Lillian and then started on dinner. Once Elizabeth arrived at the Coulter residence, the group of three said their mealtime prayer before they started eating, “So how’s everything been for you, Elizabeth?” asked Lee.  
“Alright,” Elizabeth sighed.  
“We miss him too, Elizabeth,” said Rosemary.  
“I know,” said Elizabeth, “I got a letter from him today.”  
“Well, what did it say?” asked Lee.  
“I haven’t opened it yet, but I’m sure it’ll say what it always says. I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to come home, and so on,” said Elizabeth, “But there’s never an exact date, so it makes me worry about him even more.”  
Lee and Rosemary nodded, not pressing their friend any further. After dessert, everyone cleared and washed the dishes and Lee kissed Rosemary’s temple, “I’m going to start getting her ready for bed.”  
“Okay, I’ll be up to feed her and rock her to sleep,” she said.  
“Come on, Little Flower, it’s time to get ready for bed,” Lee babbled at Lillian before he carried her up the stairs.  
Elizabeth and Rosemary sat down and Elizabeth smiled, “Thanks for inviting me over. I really needed some company tonight.”  
“Hey, you’ve been there for me, the least I could do is be there for you,” said Rosemary. She squeezed Elizabeth’s hand and smiled, “But I think you should open Jack’s letter. I have a good feeling about it.” Elizabeth sighed and carefully opened the envelope. Rosemary watched her friend read the contents. Elizabeth covered her mouth and started to cry. Rosemary’s face fell and she held back a few tears of her own, “Elizabeth…”  
Elizabeth’s hands shook and she looked up at Rosemary, “He’s coming home,” she whispered softly.  
“What?” asked Rosemary, an excited grin forming on her face.  
“HE’S COMING HOME!” Elizabeth shouted excitedly. The two women stood and embraced each other, both sobbing hysterically, “I can’t believe it. Jack, my Jack, is coming home! This Friday!”  
“Oh Elizabeth, I am so happy for you!” laughed Rosemary.  
The two women continued to laugh and cry for a few moments before Elizabeth pulled back, “Well, I...I have to get home. There’s so much I have to do,” she stuttered, not quite knowing what to say.  
“Go, I have to get Lilly ready for bed,” said Rosemary.  
Elizabeth quickly left and Rosemary went to the nursery where Lee was attempting to sooth a crying infant, “Oh Rosie, thank goodness, she really needs you for this…” Lee was interrupted with a passionate kiss, “Part,” he finished, “What was that for?”  
“He’s coming home,” smiled Rosemary.  
Lee’s eyebrows shot up and he gave her his famous smile that she dearly loved, “Really when?”  
“Friday,” answered Rosemary happily. She took the baby from Lee, “Alright baby girl, let’s get you ready for bed.”  
Lee couldn’t help but smile at how gentle and compassionate Rosemary was with the baby. For someone who wasn’t always comfortable around children, Lillian had completely captured Rosemary’s heart. He came over and touched her shoulder, “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”  
Rosemary smiled and nodded. She sang to Lillian as she swaddled her before she set her down in her crib, “Have a good night, sweetheart.” Rosemary went downstairs and sat down next to Lee on the couch. They stayed silent for a few moments before Rosemary said, “Elizabeth is so excited you know.”  
Lee rubbed her back and kissed her temple, “You’re allowed to be excited, Rosie. I’m happy he’s coming home too.”  
Rosemary smiled and leaned in to kiss her husband. The two deepened the kiss until Lee pulled back, “What?”  
“The only bad part about Jack coming home: Elizabeth won’t have as much time to babysit,” sighed Lee.  
Rosemary gave him a playful smirk, “Maybe so. But Lilly also sleeps for much longer stretches at a time. If we’re quiet, I think we’ll be okay.”  
Lee stood and held out his hand for Rosie’s. She gladly took it and stood, Lee wrapping his arms around her waist. They kissed for a few more moments and Lee leaned his forehead against hers, “I love you, Rosie.”  
Rosemary smiled and grabbed his hand, both of them quietly going upstairs for the night.


	23. Homecoming

Friday couldn’t arrive fast enough in Hope Valley. As soon as Elizabeth had read Jack’s letter to her, she promptly spent the next day letting everyone in town know he was coming home. The town decided to throw Jack a welcome home party and so everyone had pitched in with the planning and preparation. Rosemary was more than happy to take on most of the responsibility, “You have so much on your plate, Elizabeth,” she had told her. Elizabeth figured it was best not to argue in this case; Jack’s homecoming was just as important to Rosemary as it was to her, even if it was in slightly different ways. Finally, Friday arrived, though the Mounties wouldn’t be arriving until mid-afternoon. The residents used the morning as an opportunity to set up the café for the party with Rosemary, of course, dictating almost everyone’s every move, “Banner higher on your side, Hickam. Murphy, we need more balloons. Lee, no one should be eating anything until Jack gets here,” scolded Rosemary, yanking the food out of her husband’s hands with her free hand.  
Elizabeth chuckled and took the baby from Rosemary, “Rosemary, I’m sure Jack will appreciate everything, but you didn’t have to go to this much trouble, did she Sweetie Pie?” Elizabeth cooed at Lillian. Lillian giggled in response.  
“Oh Elizabeth, it’s no trouble at all. Just think of it as a pre-wedding celebration,” said Rosemary and then her face lit up, “Oh Elizabeth, now that Jack will be home, we can start planning your wedding!”  
Elizabeth scowled, “Wait a minute, what do you mean we?” asked Elizabeth but Rosemary hadn’t heard her as she was shouting some more commands at Florence and Molly. Elizabeth looked down at the infant in her arms, gazing around the room, “Your Mommy always goes overboard with everything. Always,” said Elizabeth, making her way over to the other women, “Just so you know.”  
Rosemary smiled as Elizabeth made her way over to her, “Come here, give me my kid,” she chuckled as she took Lilly back from her Godmother, “Tell Auntie Elizabeth Mommy has very good hearing,” she smirked at Elizabeth.  
Elizabeth smiled softly. Anyone could easily see how nervous Elizabeth was, though there was also much anticipation on Elizabeth’s part. Once everything was decorated and the food was prepared, everyone waited impatiently for the Mounties to arrive. At last, everyone saw a sea of red serge on horseback outside the café windows. Elizabeth went outside onto the front porch, but couldn’t find Jack anywhere, _“Oh no. Is he not here? Is he not coming home?”_ she wondered worriedly. She ran amongst the other Mounties, screaming his name, “Jack! JACK!” she shouted as loudly as she possibly could. Abigail heard the screaming and ran out onto the porch when she heard the young teacher’s cries, “JACK!” Elizabeth shouted once more.  
“ELIZABETH!” she heard his husky voice call out her name.  
She glanced over to find Jack riding towards her, “JACK!” she shouted, running to him as fast as her legs could carry her. He stopped Sergeant and jumped off of his horse just in time for Elizabeth to jump into his arms. She kissed his hands, his face, and his lips over and over again, “I’ve missed you so much, Jack,” she sobbed, grateful that he was finally home. For good.  
“I’ve missed you too, sweetheart,” he said, rubbing her back, doing his best to hold back the tears forming in his eyes, “It’s good to be home.”  
Elizabeth smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the café where Abigail was eagerly waiting. She embraced him and smiled, “Welcome home, Jack.”  
“Thank you Abigail,” said Jack appreciatively.  
“Well, brace yourself, we have a surprise for you,” said Abigail.  
“Oh boy,” chuckled Jack as Elizabeth and Abigail led him inside the restaurant. He was shocked to see all of Hope Valley there.  
“WELCOME HOME!” everyone shouted elatedly.  
Jack grinned from ear to ear. He really did live in the most supportive town in the world, “I’ve missed all of you,” he said.  
Everyone began to converse, greet their Mountie, and eat. Jack walked over to Rosemary and Lee, hand in hand with Elizabeth, “Welcome home, Jack,” Rosemary greeted, throwing her arms around her friend.  
“I’ve missed you, Rosie,” said Jack, embracing her back, “I hope Lilly hasn’t given you too much trouble.”  
“Well, she’s gotten a lot better at making noise since you last saw her, haven’t you, Princess?” Lee asked in his best baby voice. Lilly giggled in response.  
Jack held his arms out for his Goddaughter. Lee hesitated a little but finally allowed Jack to hold her. Lillian started fussing a little in Jack’s arms, “Ah Lilly, don’t cry. It’s me, it’s Uncle Jack,” he talked to her.  
Unfortunately, Jack wasn’t able to calm her down, so he handed the baby to Rosemary, who was finally able to stop her daughter’s tears, “It’s okay baby girl. Mommy’s here,” she soothed, rocking her. She looked up at Jack, visibly hurt at Lilly’s unrecognition of him, “Um, she’s gotten a lot better at recognizing faces in the past several weeks. Since you’ve been gone for so long, she might have…” Rosemary trailed off.  
Elizabeth rubbed her fiancée’s arm, “It’s okay, honey. We can babysit her some to get her used to you again,” Elizabeth said calmingly.  
“Right,” replied Jack, though everyone could tell he was upset.  
“Okay, now that Jack is home, we have a wedding to plan!” said Rosemary excitedly.  
“Rosie,” warned Jack. He took Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it, “Elizabeth and I were hoping to have a _small_ wedding,” he emphasized. He knew Rosemary better than anyone else in town aside from Lee. He knew how all out she would go with their wedding if given the chance.  
“Nonsense, it’s your wedding!” shouted Rosemary, “Honey, take her,” instructed Rosemary, handing the baby to Lee. She grabbed Elizabeth by the arm, and the two women walked away, Rosemary chattering away about wedding plans.  
Lee leaned closer to Jack as he cuddled the baby against his chest, “She’s been feeling better lately, can you tell?”  
Jack chuckled and nodded, “I noticed. But Lee,” he pulled Lee closer to him, “You and I both know controlling Rosemary when she’s excited about something is a challenge,” Jack began. Lee shook with silent laughter and nodded, indicating for Jack to continue, “But, if you can, and this is a big if, _please_ try to keep her from creating the most extravagant wedding in all of Canada.”  
The two men snickered a little and then busted out laughing, “Nice try man,” said Lee.  
Rosemary and Elizabeth walked back over to their significant others and Elizabeth smiled, “What’s so funny?”  
Jack shook his head, “Nothing, honey,” he took her hand and said, “Well thanks for the party, but I think I might go greet everyone else and then maybe you and I can have a special dinner tonight,” he smiled at Elizabeth.  
“Sounds wonderful, Constable,” she smiled back.  
Jack shook Lee’s hand and embraced Rosemary, “Thanks for the party, Rosie.”  
“How do you know it was me who planned it?” she asked, though everyone in town knew she was a terrible liar. Jack gave her a knowing look and she held up her hands, “Alright, it was me. I planned almost everything.”  
Jack smiled and Elizabeth giggled, “See you guys.”  
Soon after Jack and Elizabeth left, Lilly started crying in Lee’s arms, “Hush, it’s okay, sweetheart,” he soothed, though it wasn’t working in the least, “Are you tired, Princess?” he looked up at Rosemary and said, “I think she needs to take her afternoon nap.”  
Rosemary nodded her head in agreement and grabbed their coats and the diaper bag. She walked over to Abigail and tapped her on the shoulder. Abigail turned around to face her, “Can you look after things and start the clean-up process? I might be able to come over later, but we really have to get Lilly home and settled down for a nap.”  
“Of course,” Abigail gave her a quick hug, “Granted, it’s been many years, but I know how difficult tired babies can be.”  
“Thanks,” Rosemary answered.  
The couple bid their farewells and headed for home. They put Lilly down for her nap and went back downstairs. Lee squeezed her shoulders and said, “Why don’t you go upstairs and rest. You didn’t sleep well last night and you spent all morning preparing for the party.”  
“Lee, are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.  
Lee nodded, “After all, you have a wedding to start planning.”  
A big grin formed on Rosemary’s face, “I just want to make it special day for them.”  
Lee leaned his forehead against hers and kissed her, “If it’s anything like ours, as long as they have each other, it’ll be special.”  
She leaned into his embrace, “You know, other than the day Lilly was born, our wedding day was the best day of my life”  
“Mine too,” he smiled, remembering their wedding day fondly.  
Rosemary leaned up to kiss him again, “I love you, Lee.”  
“I love you too.”


	24. Planning

Now that Jack was home permanently, Hope Valley was hard at work preparing for Jack and Elizabeth’s upcoming nuptials. The groom and bride-to-be had asked for the assistance of their fellow Hope Valley residents: Abigail was in charge of planning the meal for the reception, Rosemary and Dottie were designing Elizabeth’s wedding gown, young Timmy Lawson was going to play the music at the wedding ceremony, and Phillip Cantrell and Opal Weise were the ring bearer and flower girl, respectively. Elizabeth had made sure to assign tasks to her other students as well, such as ushering and candle lighting. What everyone considered weird was that the wedding was only a few weeks away and neither Jack nor Elizabeth had mentioned anything about a Best Man or a Maid of Honor.  
Lee and Rosemary had double dated with Jack and Elizabeth for Valentine’s Day with Abigail watching Lillian for the evening, though both Lee and Jack noticed it quickly became another wedding planning session thanks to Rosemary. Jack couldn’t help but laugh quietly to himself. He had missed everyone dearly while he was fighting in the Northern Territories. Despite what Jack and Lee had asked of her, Rosemary was making sure she went all out for her friends’ imminent wedding. The three of them couldn’t help but laugh. At least it would be an affair to remember.  
Rosemary had been bouncing back and forth between working from home and spending time in the dress shop helping Dottie and Clara design the dress with Elizabeth’s input, of course. Dottie had been especially helpful to Rosemary in regards to making sure Lillian’s needs were taken care of when Rosemary was physically at the shop. Lee had been right all along: with God, her husband, and all of Hope Valley by her side, she did have the strength to be a good mother.  
One afternoon, Dottie and Rosemary were beginning their work on Elizabeth’s dress. Of course, Elizabeth would make the final approval or ask for any corrections, but both women were relieved that most of the work had been started instead of just drawn on paper. After lunch, Dottie told Rosemary she should go and spend some time with Lilly while they waited for Elizabeth to arrive at the shop to check their progress. Rosemary nodded and smiled broadly, “Alright baby girl, how about Mommy shows you all of the different types of fabrics she works with?” she cooed, lifting Lillian out of the bassinette. She was beyond grateful that Dottie had found Bradley’s old bassinette to put in the dress shop so she wouldn’t have to rush home every time Lillian needed to nap. Lillian perked her head up and the sound of Rosie’s voice. Rosemary knew that Lillian could care less about the different types of fabric, but it would be good for sensory development. Dottie went to bring in a pot of tea, but paused and smiled as she watched the mother and daughter interact, “You like the velvet the best?” asked Rosemary to Lilly as she handed Lilly the square of velvet, to which Lilly promptly tried to put it in her mouth, “No, you can’t eat the fabric Mommy uses,” she scolded lightly, yanking it out of Lilly’s mouth. Lilly dropped the fabric on the floor and Rosie went to pick it up, only to have Lilly take a tug at her long, blond locks, “OW! No, honey, you can’t play with Mommy’s hair either.”  
Dottie chuckled to herself and handed Rosemary a few hair clips, “Here, they should help.” She set the tea down.  
“Thanks,” said Rosemary, hastily throwing her hair up into a bun.  
“I take it little Lilly here is officially in the exploratory stage?” chuckled Dottie, squeezing Lilly’s foot affectionately.  
“Oh yes, anything within reach she attempts to grab,” said Rosemary, rooting through the diaper bag to find her rattle. She handed it to Lilly, who immediately stuck it in her mouth, “And she’s also at the point where everything she gets goes straight to her mouth.”  
“That’s perfectly normal at this stage. Bradley was the exact same way,” said Dottie, “Just make sure she doesn’t get her hands on anything that could cause her to chock.”  
“Yeah, I know,” sighed Rosemary, “She is starting to test my patience sometimes, but then I look into those adorable green eyes and everything just fades,” she smiled at Lilly. Rosemary stayed silent for a few moments before she said, “That’s why it was so hard for me at first. I didn’t understand why I didn’t feel that connection and sense of calm when I laid eyes on her. And then it upset me even more when I didn’t feel that new mother bliss like everyone said I would. I was so afraid they were going to take her away from me.”  
Dottie nodded her understanding. She knew to allow Rosemary talk about her feelings or vent about anything if it aided her in her recovery. She rubbed Rosemary’s shoulder and smiled, “But if it’s any consolation, you’re doing a wonderful job with her.”  
“Thanks Dottie. I mean, I’ve been feeling a lot better and I’ve adjusted, but it’s still comforting to hear. I just can’t believe she turned four months old yesterday,” she smiled again, “And everyone told me that once your child is born, your whole world will shift and it won’t be about you anymore. I’ll admit I was a little self-absorbed, I still am somewhat. When I married Lee, I began to learn what it meant to love someone more than yourself. But once she came along…,” Rosemary rubbed Lilly’s head, “Now I know what it truly means to love someone more than anyone or anything else in the world. I would do anything for her.”  
“Well, I’m going to give you a warning. You’ll blink and she’ll be all grown up,” said Dottie. Lilly began to fuss in Rosemary’s arms and Rosemary started to rock her to sleep, “Do you need to go home so she can take her nap?”  
“No, I think she’ll be okay here. As long as she’s sleeping, I think she’ll be fine,” said Rosemary, placing her back in the bassinette.  
Elizabeth rushed into the shop at that moment, “Oh Rosemary, thank goodness, you are here,” Elizabeth sighed, visibly relieved, “I stopped by your house and no one answered. I thought something was wrong with you or the baby.”  
“Nope, we’re both fine and dandy,” said Rosemary.  
“Good,” said Elizabeth, “Listen, can I borrow you for a second? I really need to talk to you and Abigail.”  
Rosemary glanced over at a sleeping Lillian and Dottie smiled, “Go. I can watch her for the short time you’ll be gone.”  
“Are you sure?” asked Rosemary.  
“Of course,” she affirmed.  
Rosemary nodded and walked over to Lillian. She rubbed her chest and said, “Behave for Aunt Dottie, sweet girl. Mommy will be right back.”  
Elizabeth and Rosemary made their way over to café and Rosemary couldn’t help but notice Jack and Bill heading towards the saw mill. She wondered what was going on? Once the two women arrived at Abigail’s, Rosemary headed towards the sitting area while Elizabeth went to go find Abigail. Once Elizabeth brought Abigail into the room, the older woman looked around and Rosemary said, “Lillian’s with Dottie.” Abigail nodded and they both sat down on the couch while Elizabeth sat down in the chair across from them.  
“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” said Elizabeth.  
“Of course,” said Abigail.  
“Well, I have big news. Jack and I are getting married….”  
“That’s not exactly big news,” interrupted Rosemary and Abigail swatted her playfully.  
“In two weeks,” finished Elizabeth and the other two ladies widened their eyes in shock, “And I want you both to be my Matrons of Honor,” she smiled hopefully.  
Abigail and Rosemary chuckled happily, “Oh Elizabeth, of course,” answered Abigail. They all stood and embraced each other.  
“Two weeks, oh no, that’s not nearly enough time to plan a wedding of this magnitude,” said Rosemary.  
“I’m sure we can get it done,” said Abigail, touching Rosemary’s hand.  
“Rosie, Jack and I told you we want a _small_ wedding…”  
“Nonsense, it’s your wedding day,” said Rosemary, “Well, I better let Dottie know we have to really get cracking on your dress,” she said flustered, “Not to mention, we’ll have to plan your bridal tea…”  
“I can handle that, Rosie,” assured Abigail.  
“But you have so much on your plate with the café and the town…”  
“But you have your responsibilities at the dress shop, not to mention Lilly…”  
“You have Cody and Becky…”  
“Yes, but they’re eleven and thirteen, not four months…”  
“LADIES!” interrupted Elizabeth and the two other women faced the bride-to-be, “I’m sure whatever you plan will be nice.”  
They looked at each other, “How about we meet tomorrow for dinner and we can discuss it?” asked Abigail.  
They agreed and Rosemary said, “Well, I better get back to the dress shop. I don’t want to be away from my sweet Lilly Bug for too much longer.”  
“Go,” Abigail motioned towards the door. Rosemary left the café and Abigail and Elizabeth chuckled to each other. It was definitely official: Rosemary had fully embraced Mommyhood.  
******************************************************************************  
Lee was busy working on closing out finances for the month of February when Jack and Bill walked into his office. He glanced up and smiled, “Hello boys, what’s up?”  
“Lee!” called Jack, “I have an announcement. Elizabeth and I are getting married…in two weeks!”  
“TWO WEEKS?” asked Lee in shock, “And I thought Rosie and I were fast.”  
“And I’d like you both to be my Best Men,” said Jack, laying his hands on Bill and Lee’s shoulders.  
Lee was shocked. He had fully expected Bill to take the role of Best Man completely, “Uh wow, okay!” he grinned happily.  
“Well we better start planning you a bachelor party,” smiled Bill.  
“Yeah,” agreed Lee.  
“No, I don’t need a bachelor party,” groaned Jack.  
“You’re getting a bachelor party,” said Lee and Bill at the same time.  
“Uh, alright,” agreed Jack, if only to placate his friends, “Guess we’ll have a lot of planning to do in the next two weeks.”  
Lee rolled his eyes, “I’m sure my wife will be more than happy to help,” he went back to his work.  
******************************************************************************  
Later that night, after Lee and Rosemary had both arrived home, the couple had dinner and Lee fed Lilly before the couple went to their room, Lee laying the baby on his chest since a steady heartbeat often put her sleep in no time, “So, planning a wedding in two weeks. It will definitely be a challenge,” commented Lee.  
Rosemary chuckled, “Yes, but we planned our wedding in three weeks in the midst of a landslide plus Jack’s injury.”  
“Yes, but Rosie, promise me you won’t try to be Superwoman?” Rosemary went to say something and Lee interrupted her, “I know it’s like asking someone not to breath but you do have Lilly to think about now.”  
“I know,” said Rosemary with a ‘duh’ look, “And she will always be my first priority.”  
“I’m just saying sweetheart, _please_ let Abigail help you,” Lee glanced down at the slumbering baby on his chest. He got off the bed and said, “I’ll be right back,” Rosemary nodded and kissed Lillian good night before Lee went down to the nursery. Once he returned, she snuggled next to him and began to rub soothing circle over his chest, “Rosie, what’s on your mind?”  
Rosemary didn’t say anything for a few moments as Lee ran a hand up and down her back. She finally leaned up and kissed him before she said, “I’m just glad you didn’t give up on me and didn’t let me get away.”  
Lee didn’t quite know if she meant her lack of interest in his courtship intentions, her potential Hollywood career, her depression, or all of the above, but he smiled and kissed her head, “I’ll always make sure I’m by your side.”


	25. The Visit

Now that an official wedding date had been set for Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding, the town was really crunching when it came to preparations for the ceremony and reception. Jack and Elizabeth were making travel arrangements for their families while the rest of the town got cracking on the dresses, reception, church decorations, bridal tea, and bachelor party. Frank, Molly, and Florence were preparing most of the decorations for the ceremony while Clara, Dottie, and Rosemary were slowly chugging along in creating Elizabeth’s wedding dress. Lee and Bill had taken the reigns in regards to Jack’s bachelor party while Abigail was shouldering most of the responsibility for Elizabeth’s bridal tea with input from Rosemary. Of course, sweet little Lilly hadn’t been forgotten in the wedding planning shuffle; Rosemary had made sure to make her daughter the absolute frilliest dress to wear to the wedding, much to Lee’s amusement. When Rosie had shown him the tiny outfit made of the same lace that the bride’s matrons dresses were, only Lilly’s was a bright pink compared to the coral and lavender of Rosemary’s and Abigail’s dresses respectively, Lee had stated, “Just make sure the attention will still be on Elizabeth, Rosie.”  
It was now the week of the wedding and things were steadily coming together: the Thatchers would be arriving from Hamilton any day now, the majority of the decorations had been constructed, the reception meal menu had been finalized, and today, the women would be putting the final touches on Elizabeth’s dress. Rosemary had made sure to get up bright and early that way she could feed Lilly and get ready before she met Dottie, Clara, Florence, Abigail, and Faith at the dress shop, “Once Mommy and her friends finish Auntie Elizabeth’s dress today, she is going to look absolutely breathtaking for her wedding to Mountie Jack on Thursday,” she cooed at Lilly softly, rocking back and forth as Lilly ate breakfast. She burped Lilly and began to dress her, still animatedly talking about her excitement for the wedding, “And Mommy designed a special dress for you to wear, Pumpkin, but you’ll be sitting with Aunt Dottie because Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Abigail, and Uncle Bill will be standing next to Auntie Elizabeth and Uncle Jack as their Best Men and Matrons of Honor.”  
They went downstairs where Lee was sitting at the dining room table drinking his morning coffee, “Good morning, sweetheart,” he smiled and kissed her.  
“Morning,” she smiled and kissed him back.  
“And how’s Daddy’s little Princess?” he made a few funny faces at Lilly, who giggled with delight. Rosemary placed Lilly in her bassinet and poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down next to Lee, “So what are your plans for today?”  
“Well, first I have to spend the morning at the dress shop finishing Elizabeth’s gown, then I might pick up some groceries at the mercantile, and then if I’m feeling really adventurous, I might do some dusting during her nap time right before I go to the nursery and play with Lilly during tummy time,” described Rosemary.  
“Mm. Sounds like you have full day planned,” chuckled Lee, swallowing the last of his coffee and washing the cup out before he went to grab his briefcase, “I’ll be home at dinnertime,” he kissed her, “I love you.”  
“Love you too,” she smiled.  
“Behave for Mommy, Little Flower,” he kissed Lilly’s head and received a few giggles in return. After finishing some toast, Rosemary cleared the dishes and gathered everything Lilly and she would need for the morning before heading over to the dress shop. Once she arrived, she set her handbag and the diaper bag in the back room and came out to observe Dottie, Abigail, Florence, Clara, and Faith intently staring at the dress, “Is something wrong with the dress?” asked Rosemary, coming over to the other four women. Lilly began to laugh from the interaction of the ladies surrounding her.  
“No, we were just wondering if we should have more fabric in…a certain spot,” said Clara, gesturing to the neckline.  
“Oh dear,” said Rosemary, passing the baby to Faith and taking a better look at the collar, “It is a little low cut and we all know Elizabeth is very…modest. Maybe we should add some more fabric up top here,” she began to stick a few pins into the hem.  
Dottie went to find more lace in the back room, though came out with a sullen face, “Uh, Rosie?”  
“What?” asked Rosemary, though she had a few pins in her mouth, so it was garbled.  
“I don’t think we have enough lace to fix the dress,” said Clara, holding up what little lace Dottie had found in the back.  
“Just use my dress,” said Rosemary, though again, the words were jumbled.  
“Hmm? What was that?” asked Abigail, taking the pins out of Rosemary’s mouth.  
“Thank you,” said Rosemary, “We can use my dress. My dress was lace. We can deconstruct my dress to make Elizabeth’s.”  
“That will work,” they all agreed just as Elizabeth walked into the shop.  
“Hi everyone,” she smiled, “How’s everything going?”  
“Everything is going well. We just have a few more touches to put on the dress,” affirmed Rosemary.  
Elizabeth sighed, “Guys, I have another dress I can wear. You don’t need to try to rush to pull off a miracle.”  
“Lucky for you we specialize in miracles,” said Dottie.  
“Elizabeth, when Jack sees you, he’ll think he’s in Heaven,” Rosemary smiled proudly at Elizabeth, “Now, I have to run home really quick to get my dress. I’ll be back soon, sweet pea,” Rosemary kissed Lilly’s forehead.  
“Why _your_ dress?” asked Elizabeth in confusion.  
“Because I forgot to order more lace and so we need to deconstruct my dress to make yours,” Rosemary explained.  
Elizabeth looked over at her gown and though everyone could tell she _did_ think the neckline was a little low, Elizabeth took a deep breath and faced Rosemary again, “You don’t have to do that, Rosemary. I would hate to see you ruin your dress for my sake.”  
“It’s not ruining, it’s…reusing,” said Rosemary, laying a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder.  
“But what if Lilly wants to wear Mommy’s dress on her wedding day?” smirked Elizabeth.  
Rosemary’s eyes widened in horror. She could hardly stand the thought and the fact that Lilly would be crawling across the room towards Daddy in a few months, let alone walking down the aisle with Daddy on her wedding day, “Well, lucky for both of us, that day is many, _MANY_ , years away.” Rosemary quickly left the shop.  
Abigail couldn’t help but chuckle and laid a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder, “A word of advice. Never make the mother of an infant face the fact that her baby will grow up some day.”  
“Good to know,” said Elizabeth, figuring she would know the feeling soon enough.  
Meanwhile, Rosemary had just arrived home and was digging through the closet to find her wedding dress. Once she had found it, she smiled fondly as she remembered her own wedding day. In another month, April 12, 1915, it would be her and Lee’s two year anniversary. So much had changed since then. They were now stronger than ever and by then, they would have an adorable five month old daughter. But even though it pained her a little to cut up her beloved wedding dress, Elizabeth was her friend, probably her closest friend next to Lee and maybe Jack. Elizabeth had been a pillar of strength during her pregnancy, delivery, and recovery from postpartum depression. And she probably didn’t deserve any of it because she _had_ come to Coal Valley with the intention to win Jack back when he had so clearly fallen in love with Elizabeth; she had, of course, been too self-absorbed to notice at the time, but the point was, she couldn’t get in the way of Elizabeth’s happiness anymore when Elizabeth, being the kind soul she was, had quickly forgiven her for her less than moral goals. Once she arrived back at the dress shop, everyone spent the rest of the morning finishing up Elizabeth’s dress with the bride-to-be giving her final seal of approval.  
After her morning at the dress shop, Rosemary picked up some milk, coffee, eggs, and sugar from the mercantile and took Lilly back home for lunchtime and her afternoon nap. Once Lee arrived home later that day, he heard his wife’s voice coming from upstairs where he found her on the floor of the nursery actively making funny noises and faces at Lilly. Lee couldn’t help but smile at his wife and daughter, so he grabbed a few toys and joined them in their fun on the floor. After a few more minutes, Lee rubbed Rosemary’s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek, “Why don’t you go get dinner started? I can entertain her until it’s ready.”  
“Okay,” she smiled and went to go start on the meatloaf. After dinner, the family of three stayed in the living room, the parents quietly talking about their days when they both heard a knock at the door. They turned confused but Rosemary got up off the settee and glanced out the window to see who it was. She smiled with glee once she saw her and quickly opened the door, “CHARLOTTE!” she grinned, happily throwing her arms around the older woman.  
“Rosie,” she smiled back, “Lee,” she embraced him as well.  
“Mrs. Thornton,” smiled Lee humbly.  
“When did you get into town?” asked Rosemary excitedly, letting her into the house.  
“Oh, just a few hours ago. Tom and I checked in at the rooms above the saloon. We had dinner with my other son and my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, but they couldn’t help but talk about your new little one,” said Charlotte, “So…I had to stop by and see you and your newest little addition.”  
“Well, lucky for you, she’s right here,” smiled Rosemary softly, leading Charlotte over to the bassinet, where Lilly was kicking and babbling to herself. Rosemary stroked her cheek and then let Lilly wrap her tiny hand around her pinky finger. She smiled and said, “Charlotte, this is Lillian Naomi Coulter. Lilly Bug, this is Uncle Jack’s Mommy, Mrs. Charlotte.”  
Charlotte gazed at the tiny baby and smiled, “Hi Lilly,” she gently stroked the baby’s chest, “Ah Lee, Rosie, she is absolutely adorable.”  
“Yeah, we’ve really grown quite fond of her,” joked Lee as Rosemary lifted the baby into her arms and snickered at her husband’s joke.  
Rosemary glanced at Charlotte, “Just a warning, she’s a little wary around strangers sometimes. It’s probably better if Lee or I hold her and you interact with her before you attempt to hold her yourself.”  
“That’s okay. Jack was the same way,” admitted Charlotte, sitting down next to the couple “Tom, on the other hand, would let anyone hold him.”  
Charlotte spent a few minutes interacting with Lillian and letting Lilly warm up to her, but it wasn’t long before the four-month old was reaching out for Charlotte, “What is it with you Thorntons being able to charm everyone around you?” joked Lee.  
Charlotte gave a humorous glower at Lee right as Lilly began to cry in her arms, “Ah what’s the matter, little one?” she asked. She glanced up at Rosemary, “Is it bedtime?” Rosemary nodded in affirmation and Charlotte handed Lilly back to her mother, “Go to Mommy, little one.” They all stood and Charlotte gave Rosemary a side embrace, “It was so good to see you again, Rosie.”  
“Good to see you too,” Rosemary smiled back.  
She gave Lee another hug too before she headed towards the door, “Well, it’s getting late and I’m sure you need to get her down for the night. Plus it was a long coach ride and we have the party tomorrow. I’ll see you both tomorrow,” said Charlotte waving.  
“Have a good night, Mrs. Thornton,” waved Lee and Rosemary made Lilly wave. The couple headed upstairs before the thought hit Lee, “Rosie, you don’t think she’s going to crash the bachelor party again do you?”  
Rosemary couldn’t help but bust out laughing, “Um, I wouldn’t be surprised.”  
Lee rolled his eyes a little but laughed along with his wife. They went through Lilly’s nightly bedtime routine of a bath, feeding, bedtime story, and lullaby before they put her into bed slightly drowsy so she could fall asleep the rest of the way, “Have a good night, Princess,” cooed Lee as Lilly’s eyes got heavier and heavier.  
Rosemary kissed her hand and then placed it on Lilly’s head, “Sweet dreams, Lilly Bug.”  
Lee smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the nursery, quietly closing the door behind him and taking Rosemary to their room for some alone time for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: the Thatchers arrive in Hope Valley for the wedding, the bridal tea, and the bachelor party!


	26. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, the beginning of this chapter is a little more adult-oriented, but I tried to be respectful. The later half is light-hearted and humorous.

The next morning, Lee woke up extra early to log in a few hours at the mill before Jack’s bachelor party later that afternoon. Rosemary and Abigail had agreed to begin setting up the café around noon, as the bridal tea began at 1:00 PM. Rosie made sure to dedicate her morning to playing with Lillian and allowing her some Mommy time before the chaos of the wedding slowly began. After she had fed and dressed Lilly and spent a few minutes of tummy time, she placed her daughter in the basinet while Rosemary finished stitching the lettering on her gift place set for Jack and Elizabeth. Someone knocked at the door and Rosemary peered out the window before she saw it was Elizabeth. Rosemary hastily hid the napkins and heard a second knock before she opened the door, “Elizabeth, what are you doing here?” she asked through gritted teeth. She really did have to finish the cross-stitching on the napkins. Elizabeth had an anxious look in her eyes and Rosemary gained a look of concern, “Oh dear, you look like a woman who needs to talk,” she pulled Elizabeth into the house.  
Elizabeth smiled and patted Lilly before she took a nervous breath, “I know you’re busy, Rosemary, and I’m sure you wanted to spend some time with Lilly, but it’s important.”  
“Is something wrong with your dress? I can talk to Dottie and we can make last minute alterations,” said Rosemary.  
“No, no,” Elizabeth held up her hands, “The dress is perfect.”  
“Well, does it have something to do with the wedding?”  
“Kind of,” Elizabeth blushed, “Or after the wedding,” Elizabeth quietly muttered under her breath.  
“What was that?” asked Rosemary.  
Elizabeth’s breath shook, “Listen, Rosie, I’m not really all that close with Dottie, Florence, or Molly and I know I could talk to Abigail about this subject, but…” Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know, it’s been more recent for you.”  
“What’s been more recent for me?” asked Rosemary confused.  
Elizabeth looked into Rosemary’s eyes, “Your wedding night,” whispered Elizabeth, barely audible.  
“Oh,” gasped Rosemary surprised. That was indeed an important aspect of the marriage ceremony, “What did you want to know?” asked Rosemary quietly.  
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth began to pace, “I know it’s not ladylike or proper to talk about this sort of thing.”  
They both heard Lilly fuss a little and turned toward the whimpering infant, “Tell you what? I’ll go put her down for her mid-morning nap and we’ll talk. It would be a little awkward to talk about this sort of thing with her in the room anyways.”  
Elizabeth nodded and Rosemary scooped Lilly into her arms and carried her up the stairs. Ten minutes later, Rosemary rejoined Elizabeth in the living room, “Is she asleep?”  
Rosemary nodded, “Drowsy at least. Lee and I have been putting her in her crib when she’s just getting sleepy that way she’ll learn to fall asleep on her own the rest of the way. It’s been going pretty well so far. Do you want some coffee or tea?”  
“No, I’m good, thank you,” said Elizabeth. Rosemary took a seat next to her friend, “I don’t even know where to begin. It’s such an embarrassing topic.”  
“Elizabeth,” Rosemary grabbed Elizabeth’s hand, “Everything you’re feeling is completely normal. In fact I’d probably be worried, and a little jealous, if you were super confident right now.”  
Elizabeth couldn’t help but chuckle. Leave it to Rosemary Coulter to quickly add humor to any conversation, “So, you weren’t the outgoing superstar I’m used to you claiming to be?”  
“Oh dear no,” she laughed, “Lee and I looked like a couple of newborn baby giraffes, I’m sure.” Elizabeth smiled, though Rosemary could tell she wasn’t entirely relieved, “Anything else, Elizabeth?” she asked gently.  
Elizabeth sighed and nodded, “Just…your wedding night? Was it something you’ll always remember? And how is it exactly?”  
“Oh goodness,” Rosemary sighed, thinking back to her own wedding night, “Well, do you want me to be honest with you or do you want me to sugar-coat it for you?”  
“Have you ever actually sugar-coated anything in your entire life?” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow amusingly. Rosemary took that response as a ‘be honest’ answer.  
“Well, all I can say is…you’ll be nervous. Terrified really. Jack will be nervous too, but if he’s anything like Lee, he’ll probably try to hide it. Neither one of you will have a clue about what you’re doing and it’ll be extremely awkward and uncomfortable, both physically and emotionally. But you’ll get better. I mean, after all, that’s what the honeymoon’s for,” chuckled Rosemary and Elizabeth smiled and nodded, “But, what I guess I’m saying is…if you’re with the right person, it’ll be okay. And you and Jack are made for each other. I promise you, you’ll never feel closer to Jack than on your wedding night and every other time. You pour out your heart and soul to each other and truly do become one flesh. There’s a reason God designed the marital act the way He did: for that one special person with whom you choose to spend the rest of your life. There’s nothing else like it. And who knows? Maybe Lilly will have her own little playmate by the end of the year.”  
“Rosemary,” laughed Elizabeth.  
“And make sure he… oh, even I can’t say this out loud without it feeling awkward,” Rosemary leaned in and whispered a few more words of advice in Elizabeth’s ear.  
“Good to know,” Elizabeth chuckled, “Thanks Rosemary. I know this is an uncomfortable subject.”  
“It’s no problem, Elizabeth,” she smiled and squeezed her hand.  
“Maybe you should go back to writing that advice column,” Elizabeth smirked.  
“With all due respect, Elizabeth, I don’t believe this discussion would be appropriate for the local paper,” Rosemary laughed. The two women heard Lilly crying and Rosemary took a deep breath, “Well that was a quick nap. Care to engage in some tummy time with your Goddaughter?”  
“Oh, I would love to, but my family should be arriving from Hamilton any time now,” Elizabeth hugged Rosemary and headed towards the door. Elizabeth looked towards the coach stop and noticed a few familiar faces stepping off the wagon. She ran as fast as she could, smiling broadly, “JULIE!” she shouted happily.  
“Elizabeth!” Julie gave her sister a joyful embrace, “Where’s Jack?”  
“He had to take care of a few things at the office before his bachelor party,” explained Elizabeth.  
William helped Grace step off the wagon and he smiled, “Hello Lizzie,” he embraced her as well.  
“Father,” she smiled and hugged him back.  
“How are you Beth?” asked Grace, kissing her on the cheek and hugging her as well.  
“I’m doing well Mother,” admitted Elizabeth, “Just a little nervous.”  
“Understandable,” agreed Grace, “And Lionel and Viola send their regrets but their flight from London was delayed so they won’t be arriving until tomorrow morning.”  
Elizabeth nodded, but wondered whether they truly had a flight delay or if they just wanted to spend as little time on the frontier as possible. Airplanes weren’t a super common and expensive mode of transportation so maybe that was truly the case, “How is my nephew?” asked Elizabeth.  
“Little Theodore is just the sweetest little boy,” said Julie. She leaned closer to Elizabeth and smiled, “Though I don’t know who needs more attention: Viola or Theodore?”  
Elizabeth smirked and covered her mouth, “So Mother, Father, are you staying above the saloon?”  
“Oh no dear, Jack made sure we could stay in a closer bed and breakfast,” said Grace, “Your one Matron of Honor said we could leave our trunks in the café during the bridal tea.”  
“Of course,” nodded Elizabeth just as Charlotte came riding over on her horse.  
“Elizabeth,” she shouted, “Let Jack know that Tom and I are going for a ride, but we’ll be back in time for the bachelor party!”  
“Uh, Charlotte wait!” called Elizabeth. Charlotte dismounted her horse and came over to the Thatchers, “I’d like to introduce you to my family: my father, William, my mother, Grace, and my sister, Julie. Mother, Father, Julie, this is Charlotte Thornton, my almost mother-in-law.”  
“Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Thornton,” said William, shaking her hand.  
“Oh please, call me Charlotte,” she said, “Grace.”  
“Pleasure,” she said stiffly, “So bachelor party? May I ask, aren’t you attending the bridal tea later this afternoon?”  
“Oh no, I already cleared it with Jack to attend the bachelor party. Beer and poker are more my forte than tea and frilly things,” said Charlotte.  
“I see,” Grace nodded curtly.  
“Mother,” Elizabeth warned, “Well, now that you all are here, let’s place your things at Abigail’s. Have a good time at the bachelor party, Charlotte,” said Elizabeth, quickly escorting her family away from the coach stop.  
******************************************************************************  
Later that afternoon, everyone was arriving at Abigail’s for the bridal tea, “So you’re telling me that woman rides horses, drinks alcohol besides wine and champagne, plays poker,” listed Grace, “Hunts, and doesn’t wear dresses very often? “she asked incredulously.  
“Mother,” pleased Elizabeth, “It’s only a few days. Remember she didn’t grow up well off and she raised Jack and Tom by herself. _Please_ just try to get along.”  
“Alright Beth,” sighed Grace. Abigail and Rosemary came over to the three women and Rosemary had Lilly in her arms.  
“Ladies,” Elizabeth smiled, grateful for the extra company at the moment, “I’d like you to meet my mother, Grace Thatcher, and, Rosie, this is my sister, Julie.”  
“Nice to finally meet you,” smiled Rosemary.  
“Mother, Julie, these are my Matrons of Honor and my best friends in the world, Abigail Stanton and Rosemary Coulter,” introduced Elizabeth.  
“And who’s this little sweetheart?” cooed Julie to Lillian.  
“This is Lee and Rosemary’s daughter and my Goddaughter, Lillian,” smiled Elizabeth rubbing her head.  
“We call her Lilly for short,” said Rosemary.  
Grace smiled at the baby, “Reminds me of when you girls were in my arms.”  
“Well, we should probably get started,” Abigail gestured towards the table.  
Elizabeth sat at the head of the table with her family and friends on both sides. They laughed and shared stories about their marriages before Abigail stopped and said, “Well, everyone knows the traditional rhyme of ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue’ so, I’d say we should present our gifts,” Abigail handed Elizabeth a pair of earrings, “Elizabeth I wore these at my wedding to Noah, and I would be honored to have you where them at your wedding to Jack. Something old and something borrowed.”  
Elizabeth smiled as she took the earrings “Thank you, Abigail.”  
Clara passed down a box and Elizabeth opened to find a hand-stitched cloth with hers and Jack’s names and anniversary date, “We figure you can pin it somewhere on your dress where it’ll be close to your heart. Something new,” said Clara.  
Grace smiled at her daughter, “Well this isn’t exactly something blue, more like something else old and borrowed, but I want you to have this on your wedding day, Beth,” she handed Elizabeth a small box.  
Elizabeth opened it to reveal a flower crown to place right under her veil, “Mother, it’s beautiful.”  
“I wore it on my wedding day when I married your Father and Viola wore it on her wedding day when she married Lionel. I’d like to continue the tradition and for you to wear it on your wedding day to Jack,” Grace smiled softly.  
“Thank you, Mother,” she got up and hugged her.  
“To Elizabeth!” chorused Abigail and Rosemary simultaneously.  
“To Elizabeth!” everyone chanted holding up their tea cups.  
******************************************************************************  
Charlotte gathered up her chips as she had just won the latest round of poker, much to Lee, Jack, Frank, Bill, Hickam, Jesse, Murphy, Ned, Tom, and Gowen’s chagrin, “Nice to know you continued the legacy of what you did at my bachelor party at your son’s bachelor party,” joked Lee.  
“Oh, sorry Jack,” she said.  
“Lee and I still respect winners, Mom,” said Jack, taking a swig of his beer.  
“I’d like to propose a toast!” Bill lifted his beer glass, “To Jack Thornton, the man who found the perfect woman in every way. And then took forever to do something about it.”  
All of the men chuckled as Charlotte said, “Didn’t I tell you to either get in the saddle or get off the horse?”  
“Yes, Mom, you did,” Jack sighed.  
“Come on brother, I could always see something between you two ever since we ran into each other in Hamilton,” Tom wrapped his arm around Jack’s shoulder.  
“Well I appreciate all of your love and support. Especially to the beautiful woman who maintained the strength to raise two rambunctious boys and still come out of it with a certain degree of sanity,” he smiled at Charlotte and everyone laughed.  
She smiled humbly and laid her hand on his shoulder and then clapped her hands together, “Alright, who’s up for a round of darts?” she asked excitedly. Everyone groaned in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: JACK AND ELIZABETH'S WEDDING!


	27. Here Comes the Bride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Much of the dialogue was taken from When Calls the Heart, season 5, episode 5, My Heart is Yours with a little bit of my own dialogue. Also, the vows belong to our leading lady and gentleman, Jack and Elizabeth Thornton themselves, none other than Daniel Lissing and Erin Krakow. Happy birthday to Erin!

Lionel, Viola, and Theodore arrived in Hope Valley the next day, though they had made sure to find the fanciest hotel as possible that was still close to Hope Valley. Little Theodore Hancock made a visit to his Aunt Elizabeth the day before the wedding. Rosemary had also brought Lilly over to interact with Theodore as he was only two weeks older than Lilly. Of course, Elizabeth was more than happy to interact with her nephew, “Come on Rosie, don’t you want to hold him?” asked Elizabeth eagerly.  
Rosemary held up her hands, “No, I’m good thanks,” she chuckled, “I’ve got my baby, I get my fill of babies from her. No offense, Viola, Theodore is adorable.”  
“None taken,” said Viola, taking Theodore back from Elizabeth.  
Rosemary looked at the time and said, “Well, it’s getting late and I really should be getting home so I can start dinner. I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning,” she grinned at Elizabeth.  
“Of course,” Elizabeth chuckled nervously, “Say ‘Bye bye, Lilly’,” she made Theodore wave.  
“Nice meeting you, Viola,” said Rosemary.  
“You too,” answered Viola before Rosemary left.  
Elizabeth turned to her sister and said, “You’ll have to forgive Rosemary. She’s not always comfortable around kids.”  
“That’s quite alright. Honestly, until Theodore was born, I wasn’t either, even though I was the oldest,” answered Viola, “We’re the same in that regards. Well, I better get back to the hotel. I’m sure Lionel is bored around here,” she stood and grabbed Theodore’s supplies, “See you tomorrow, Elizabeth.”  
“You too,” smiled Elizabeth.  
******************************************************************************  
The day of the wedding finally arrived and the town was abuzz with excitement, though Bill had gone off somewhere and was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Lee was helping Jack get ready while Grace, Viola, and Julie prepared for the ceremony while Elizabeth had private time with her Matrons of Honor, “Clara is putting the finishing touches on your dress right now,” said Rosemary.  
“I can’t believe I’m about to become a married woman!” Elizabeth chuckled in anticipation.  
“The day has finally arrived!” proclaimed Abigail happily.  
“We never thought it was going to happen, did we, sweetheart?” Rosemary cooed at Lilly, though the infant was much more content chugging her bottle, “And we’re here to give you all of the wedded bliss advice you’ll need.”  
“Which is pretty simple really. It’s all about love, kindness, and devotion,” said Abigail.  
“And honesty with your husband. Lee and I always talk about everything that’s on our minds. I do most of the talking, but Lee is an excellent listener. Most of the time,” said Rosemary, “Sometimes, Daddy’s off in his own little world, right sweetheart?” Lilly started fussing so Rosemary grabbed a rag and began to pat her back gently.  
“And it’s okay if you and Jack disagree. You don’t have to have the same opinion about everything,” continued Abigail.  
“And it’s okay to make mistakes. Lee makes most of them, but I always forgive him. Because nobody’s perfect,” said Rosemary.  
“Nobody?” questioned Elizabeth amusingly.  
“Even me. Occasionally,” chuckled Rosemary. She smiled once she heard Lilly make her adorable burp.  
“But most of all, as a married couple, you’ll be sharing your lives together,” smiled Abigail, “Which means sharing your heart.”  
“Love conquers all. Truly,” smiled Rosemary as well, cradling Lilly in her arms, “And love leads to life’s greatest blessings,” she smiled proudly at her daughter. Abigail grinned and nodded in agreement.  
Elizabeth smiled with glee and reached out for them, “I just love you both so much!”  
Both women grabbed Elizabeth’s hands, “We love you too,” said Abigail, “Well, we better get started on your hair.” The Thatchers arrived and helped Rosemary and Abigail do Elizabeth’s hair and make-up before the two bride’s matrons dismissed themselves so they could go get ready. Rosemary dressed Lilly in the special dress she had made for her for the wedding and went to put a ribbon in her hair when Abigail came into the room fully dress, “Rosie, I can put the ribbon in Lilly’s hair while you go get ready.”  
Rosemary glanced down at Lilly and gave Abigail puppy dog eyes, “But I really wanted to get my Lilly Bug ready myself,” she pouted cutely.  
“Rosie,” said Abigail, laying a hand on the young mother’s shoulder, “You need to get ready too. I promise I’ll give her back to you.”  
“Alright,” Rosemary sighed, “Make sure she’s so beautiful that all eyes are on her. After Elizabeth, of course.”  
“I will, I promise,” affirmed Abigail. Rosemary put on her coral dress and did her hair and make-up before she went back over to Abigail, who was happily bouncing Lilly in her arms, “There’s Mommy,” cooed Abigail as Lilly giggled and reached out for Rosemary.  
“Come here, sweet pea,” smiled Rosemary as she took her daughter into her arms. Once they arrived back to the sitting area, Dottie had arrived to take Lilly for the ceremony.  
“Oh Rosemary, you look amazing,” gushed Dottie, “And Lillian is just as cute as a button.”  
“Where’s Elizabeth?” asked Rosemary looking around the room.  
“She’s having a private moment with Mother,” said Viola.  
“Well, we better get over to the church,” said Julie.  
The Thatcher sisters left and Rosemary kissed Lilly’s forehead, “Behave for Aunt Dottie, Lilly Bug,” she smiled. Rosemary managed to pass Lilly to Dottie right before she took a pull of her hair or her earrings, to which Lilly was reaching out to grasp both, “No, honey, you still can’t pull Mommy’s hair.”  
“Why do you think I wore my hair up and have non-dangling earrings?” asked Dottie jokingly.  
Rosemary smiled and kissed Lilly’s forehead, “Bye bye, sweetheart.”  
Once Dottie had left, Rosemary and Grace made their way over to the church while Abigail aided Elizabeth. Rosemary grabbed her flower bouquet once she arrived and peeked through the curtain, smiling to herself as she saw her husband playing peek-a-boo with their daughter. Anna and Robert seated Charlotte and Grace just as Bill arrived, though Rosemary didn’t have a clue why he was gone in the first place. William glanced at his pocket watch and stated, “We’re five minutes behind schedule.”  
Rosemary laid a hand on his arm, “It’s fine,” she comforted, “Fashionably late.”  
Abigail ran into the church excitedly, “She’s here!”  
Julie grinned from ear to ear and stepped onto the other side of the curtains, “When the curtains open, you start down the aisle,” she instructed Phillip and Opal. They nodded with joy. Timmy began to play the music, Hattie and Cody lit the candles, and Phillip and Opal walked down the aisle towards the altar. The curtains opened again and Rosemary and Abigail made their way down the aisle as well. Rosemary couldn’t help but think back to her own wedding day. She looked into Lee’s eyes and he was holding back tears upon seeing his beautiful girl. Soon, the curtains opened, everyone stood, and Elizabeth slowly made her way down the aisle with William leading her. Jack’s breath caught in his throat, tears formed in his eyes, and he smiled as Elizabeth and William made their way to the front of the church. William put Elizabeth’s hand in Jack’s hand and then stood next to Grace. Everyone sat down, the music stopped, and Frank began the ceremony.  
“Friends, we’re gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven. Love is patient and love is kind. I believe you both have prepared vows?”  
Jack and Elizabeth nodded nervously and squeezed hands, “Elizabeth, I choose you and no other. Your happiness is the only question I want to spend my life answering. Your heart is the only flame I will endeavor to keep alight. Before you said yes to marrying me, I was already yours in every way. So I'm marrying you today without hesitation or doubt. I'm committed to you absolutely. I love you with everything that I am forever.”  
Elizabeth held back her tears and began her vows, “Jack, I never expected to find love when I came to Coal Valley, but somewhere along the way, without even realizing it was happening, you became the most important person in my life. You're my shoulder to cry on, my favorite to dream with, and my greatest surprise. I'd offer you my heart, but the truth is, you've had it for quite some time now. So instead, I may give you my soul. I love you, Jack Thornton. From chalk dust to eternity, I'm yours.” Everyone in the congregation chuckled.  
“We’re ready for the rings,” Frank told Phillip. He smiled and handed them to the couple.  
“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love,” Jack slid the ring onto Elizabeth’s ring finger.  
“With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you,” Elizabeth placed Jack’s ring on his finger.  
“With this ring,” Jack started.  
“I thee wed,” Elizabeth completed.  
“Elizabeth, Jack, it is my great pleasure to now pronounce you husband and wife. Jack, you may kiss your,” Jack dove towards Elizabeth’s lips, kissing her with a burning passion as she was now finally his, “Bride,” finished Frank with amusement.  
William was the first to stand, but soon, all of Hope Valley was standing and cheering for the newlyweds. Even Lillian was smiling and giggling due to everyone else’s joy; her parents couldn’t help but laugh at the adorable infant. Jack and Elizabeth finally pulled apart and Elizabeth took her flower bouquet from Abigail, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you for the very first time, Constable and Mrs. Jack Thomas Thornton.”  
Jack and Elizabeth walked down the aisle to thunderous applause. Phillip and Opal followed the newlyweds. Rosemary handed Abigail her flowers and joined her husband, both of them filled with fond memories of their wedding, but looking forward to even more new adventures together.


	28. Troubled Waters

It had been two weeks since the wedding. Jack and Elizabeth had returned from their honeymoon in Chicago and the couple was more in love than ever. Rosemary was happy for the newlyweds, she truly was, but there was a part of her that felt a little envious. She vividly remembered her days as a newly married woman: the nervous anticipation of her wedding night, the ecstasy of hers and Lee’s honeymoon in New York City, the little gifts they would leave each other throughout the day. She would swing by his office around lunchtime just because she could and make the fanciest dinners Hope Valley had ever seen. The two of them would make sweet, passionate love into the wee hours of the night and wake up entangled in each other’s arms, their legs also intertwined. The lovemaking would occur every night or nearly every night. Their marriage had been so full of passion, so full of romance. It had been absolute perfection.  
Now, everything just seemed dead. Sure, they still talked about their days and kissed each other good morning and good night, but the zeal seemed to be a past memory. No more little surprise gifts were given, no more sweet love notes, no more surprise visits. They were lucky if they got it in once a week, twice a week if they really attempted to fit it into their schedules. Oh sure, a big reason for their blasé routine was a certain little of bundle of joy who’s primary hobbies were babbling, blowing raspberries, and giggling, but Lillian wasn’t the only contributing factor to the sudden coldness of their marriage. If it wasn’t Lee working late at the mill, it was Rosemary’s slowly lengthening hours at the dress shop. If it wasn’t a taxing day at work for one of them, it was a stressful day with the baby. While Rosemary was loving motherhood more and more every day and yes, it was definitely the most rewarding job she had ever had and the best role she had ever played, she had really underestimated how _exhausting_ caring for an infant around the clock actually was. Even though Lillian was now sleeping through the night most of time, with only an occasional awakening if she was really hungry or needed a diaper change, she was now getting to the age where she needed much more interaction during the day. Add taking care of most of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and housework to her schedule and she was completely drained by the end of the day. She couldn’t even begin to understand how women with more than one child did it all. She supposed she would only cross that bridge if she ever had more children in the future.  
Of course, it wasn’t _entirely_ her fault. I mean, it wasn’t like Lee was putting in much effort either, so therefore, he was partly to blame, wasn’t he? It’s not like he wrote her sweet love notes. It’s not like he had given her any gifts recently, unless waking up in the middle of the night to feed or change Lilly counted as a present. It’s not like he would randomly come to visit her. It’s not like he would offer her a massage at the end of an especially trying day. At this point, it seemed like both of them were just going through the motions.  
Rosemary woke up to the sound of a crying baby, no surprise there. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel all that well rested as Lillian had been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. No amount of singing or rocking or soothing calmed the girl. The only thing that seemed to comfort the poor dear was when Rosie or Lee let Lillian chew on one of their fingers until she fell asleep again. Honestly, Rosemary was beginning to get worried. Lillian had suddenly become a very fussy eater, whether it was bottle or breast. And boy did she like to bite both when she was eating. She had also been drooling everywhere! Rosemary had to constantly cover her sweet baby girl’s adorable outfits with bibs so they wouldn’t get ruined with all of that saliva. And she was irritable 24/7. Finally, once Rosemary had gotten her dressed and fed as best as she could, she went downstairs to start breakfast and make Lee his lunch. She put together minestrone soup, his favorite, and then saw a few scraps of paper lying on the desk. You know what? She was going to try to put the spice back into their marriage. She placed Lilly down and wrote a short, sweet love note to Lee and stuck it in his lunchbox. He came down the stairs a few moments later and smiled, “Good morning, sweetheart.”  
“Hi,” she smiled softly and kissed him.  
“You okay?” he asked.  
“Just worried about her,” she motioned her head towards Lillian, “She’s not eating well, she’s not sleeping well, she’s cranky all the time. I might take her to Dr. Shepherd just in case something’s seriously wrong.”  
Lee felt his daughter’s forehead, “Well, she doesn’t feel warm, so that’s good, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt,” Lee put on his coat and grabbed his lunchbox, “I’ll see you at dinnertime. I love you,” he kissed her cheek.  
“Love you too,” she smiled.  
“Have a good day, Peanut,” Lee kissed Lilly’s forehead and rubbed Lilly’s cheek, only for the infant to start screaming.  
Rosemary held back tears and gathered her belongings as fast as she could. She threw on her coat, swung the diaper bag onto her shoulder, scooped Lilly into her arms, and sprinted to the infirmary as fast as she could. She busted through the door and Carson didn’t fail to notice the worried look on her face, “Mrs. Coulter, what seems to be the problem?”  
“It’s Lilly,” she sobbed, “She won’t eat, she can’t sleep, she was sleeping through the night, but not anymore. She’s crying all the time, nothing I do comforts her, and she’s drooling so much I’m surprised her mouth hasn’t dried out completely. The only time she stops crying is when she’s chewing on my finger or Lee’s finger,” Carson couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s not funny, Dr. Shepherd! Something’s wrong with my baby!”  
“Mrs. Coulter,” he said, laying his hands on her shoulders, “Lilly is just fine. Let me go wash my hands and I’ll show you what’s going on with her. Okay?” Rosemary nodded and Carson quickly washed his hands before returning, “Alright, Ms. Coulter, let’s take a look here,” Rosemary propped Lilly up on one of the examine tables and supported her while Carson stuck a finger in Lilly’s mouth, to which the young girl promptly began to chew it, “Just as I suspected.”  
“What?! What’s wrong?!” asked Rosemary anxiously.  
“Rosemary, you see this little bump right along the gum line?” asked Carson, running his finger over a slightly swollen and reddened area.  
“Yes,” affirmed Rosemary.  
“Well, it looks like little Ms. Lilly here is getting her first tooth,” said Carson, “Though it might be a few more weeks before it actually erupts.”  
A few more tears formed in Rosie’s eyes, but this time, they were tears of relief. Teething! Of course! She should’ve known that, “So the crankiness and the drooling and sleep trouble and the lack of appetite…” she listed frantically.  
“All are normal. Teething can be very painful for some babies,” informed Carson.  
“Well, will she act this way every time she gets a new tooth?” asked Rosemary.  
“Maybe yes, maybe no, but generally, I would say so,” said Carson.  
“Well, what can I do?” asked Rosemary, rubbing Lilly’s back.  
Carson wetted a washcloth and handed it to Rosemary, “The best thing you can do is let her chew on things, but make sure they’re clean and that she can’t choke on them. Cool washcloths work; you can probably order solid teething rings through a catalog of baby supplies. Massaging the gums with a clean finger works too, just like you and Mr. Coulter have been doing even without knowing about the teething.”  
Rosemary sighed relived. Lilly would be okay! She was going to live, “Thank you Dr. Shepherd.”  
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Coulter. Always come by if you need any advice or are concerned about anything,” he smiled.  
Rosemary grinned and left the infirmary. She looked at the time and noticed it was nearing the time Lee normally took his lunch break. As she had vowed to make more attempts to bring romance back to their marriage, she decided to visit him and see if she had gotten the special note. She went over to the mill and knocked on the door, “Knock, knock,” she sing-songed.  
Lee glanced up and smiled, “Rosie? To what do I owe this pleasure?”  
She smiled and kissed him, “No reason. I just wanted to stop by because I love you,” Lee smiled and kissed her back, but then noticed their daughter happily gnawing on the washcloth, “She’s teething,” explained Rosemary.  
“Ah,” said Lee.  
“So?” asked Rosemary, grinning from ear to ear.  
“So what?” questioned Lee.  
“Did you get anything nice today?” she hinted, “In your lunch today, maybe?”  
“Um, let me look,” he said. He pulled out the container of soup, only to promptly spill it all over his desk, “Oh no.”  
“Lee…” started Rosemary, but before she could say anymore, Lee grabbed the love note thinking it was a napkin and used it to wipe up the contents. Rosemary couldn’t stop the tears from forming. He hadn’t even looked. The romance really was gone.  
She hastily turned to leave, “Rosie!” Lee called.  
“I have to get her home and get her down for her nap!” she yelled back angrily.  
******************************************************************************  
From Lee’s point of view, Rosemary had felt pretty distant over the past few weeks and he didn’t have a clue why. He had frantically read through the various pamphlets and books Dr. Brown had provided them on postpartum depression, wondering if she was having a recurrence of her symptoms, but nothing seemed to match. Dr. Brown had told them she no longer needed to see him unless she was showing signs of struggle and to contact him immediately if she was, but the way she was acting now wasn’t the way she had acted when she was suffering. She hadn’t had any major crying spells lately; she was eating well, sleeping through the night other than when Lillian woke them, more sociable than ever, and quite honestly, spending more time with Lilly than with him. He would check that evening to see if she was feeling out of sorts.  
Then another thought hit him. She had been a little moody recently and was acting a little distant the same way before she had told him she was pregnant with Lillian. And they _had_ resumed their intimate life, well, as best as they could with an infant in the house. Goodness, he hadn’t even bothered to check if her cycles had returned yet. What if taking Lilly to see Dr. Shepherd had just been Rosie’s excuse to check to see if? He better check on that too.  
Later that night, after a very quiet dinner, Rosemary spent a few minutes massaging Lilly’s gums and put a washcloth in the fridge to use as a make shift teething ring. When she arrived to the master bedroom, she found Lee all ready for bed, patiently waiting for her. He had an anxious look in his eyes, “What?” she asked.  
“Sweetheart, we need to talk.”  
Rosemary’s mind began to race. What could he possibly want to talk about at this hour, “About what?” she asked crawling into bed next to him.  
Lee grabbed her hand and rubbed it soothingly, “Sweetheart, I’m going to ask you a few questions and please answer me truthfully, okay?” Rosemary agreed, “Have you been feeling extra tired lately?”  
Rosemary sighed, “A little, but only because Lilly’s been really fussy at night.”  
“How about queasy, sick to your stomach? Does the smell of breakfast make you want to vomit? Have your breasts been more tender?” Lee rambled.  
Rosemary scowled as she figured out what her husband was thinking, “Lee, I’m not pregnant!” she asserted, “My cycles came back a month ago.”  
Well, that answered one question, “Okay, then,” he took a deep breath before he asked his next question, “Do you still feel something when you look at Lilly? Do you have thoughts about running away? Or do you need to go back and see Dr. Brown?”  
Rosemary was really irritated now. What on Earth was Lee trying to figure out, “No, I don’t need to see Dr. Brown and if I’m running away, my sweet little Lilly Bug is going with me!”  
“Then, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Lee begged.  
Lillian began to cry again and Rosemary threw off the covers, “Can we talk about this in the morning? I need to go try to help her right now,” she said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed.  
“Go,” Lee said and she went down the hall. He loved this woman to pieces, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what was bothering her. Somehow, _he_ was now the one with a mystery to solve.


	29. Love of my Life

The next morning, Rosemary woke up on her own, so she quickly slipped on her robe and slippers before going downstairs to get one of the washcloths from the refrigerator. She went back upstairs where Lillian was starting to cry, “Good morning, Lilly Bug,” Rosemary whispered softly, lifting her little girl into her arms, “Let’s get you changed here and Mommy will let you teeth a little bit before she feeds you. How’s that sound?” asked Rosemary gently. She changed her diaper, helped Lilly with the new tooth, fed her, and dressed her in an adorable onesie before Rosemary noticed the old photo albums in the closet. She pulled down the one that contained the pictures from her wedding and briefly skimmed the pages. She smiled at her daughter in her arms, who had happily gone back to chewing on the washcloth after breakfast, “You know what Lilly Bug, we’re going to make a statement to Daddy today? We’re going to try to show him why Mommy is upset because, I don’t think he even realizes anything at all,” she babbled, carrying Lilly and the photo album down the stairs. She set Lilly in her bassinet and the book on the coffee table before she made breakfast for Lee, cooking it just enough to make sure he didn’t get any sort of food borne illness. She wanted to make a statement, not make him violently sick or kill him. She heard him walking around upstairs getting ready, so she picked up Lilly and sat her in her lap. She opened the photo album and turned to the page with their wedding portrait.  
A few moments later, she heard Lee come down the stairs and say, “Good morning, sweetheart.” Still seemed like business as usual to him.  
“Good morning,” she pouted.  
“Whatcha reading there?” asked Lee, glancing over her shoulder.  
“Just a history book. Yellowed pages of bygone days. Not really relevant anymore,” she moped.  
Lee took a look at his breakfast in disgust and it was barely cooked, “Breakfast is a little cold,” he commented.  
Rosemary closed the book and said, “Yes, it’s terrible when things go cold, isn’t it?”  
“It is. But how did it get ice cold?” asked Lee.  
“Yes, how?” asked Rosemary.  
Lee sighed a little. Clearly, Rosemary wasn’t over whatever was bothering her and there was no way he was eating a barely cooked breakfast, “You know? I think I’m just going to get a coffee and scone over at Abigail’s,” he threw down his napkin and grabbed his coat.  
“If you must,” sulked Rosemary.  
Lee walked over to her and kissed the top of her head, “I don’t suppose you packed me a lunch then either?”  
“Well, you never notice what I pack in your lunch anyway,” she said.  
Seriously, what on Earth was bothering her? She really seemed off, even for her, “That’s not true! You made that delicious hot soup yesterday.”  
“Lunch isn’t always about food, Lee!” she snapped at him.  
“Right,” he sighed, “Okay, well, I will see you at dinnertime,” he bent down and kissed Lilly, “Have a good day, Little Flower.”  
Lee left the house, feeling slightly bad about himself. He had upset Rosemary big time somehow, and he had absolutely no idea what he did wrong or how to fix it. He was beginning to have the feeling that Rosemary was right about it not being a recurrence of her depression; when she had been suffering, she had barely found the energy to get out of bed in the morning, let alone plot some obvious scheme against him. She was more than happy to spend time with Lillian and constantly read to her, sang to her, and played with her. She seemed perfectly content talking to other people in Hope Valley, unlike when she had been withdrawing from all of their attention just a few short months ago. Yeah, this wasn’t something a psychiatrist could help him with this time. And pregnancy? No, she wasn’t tired all the time other than from the normal fatigue of motherhood, nor was she throwing up or having any strange cravings. This problem was all on him. Perhaps he could talk to someone else in town to figure out was going on with her.  
Once he got to the mill, he had plenty of work backed up with new deals as they were beginning work on a railroad depot in Winnipeg as well as a new hotel in Windsor, Ontario. He began to add up the pricing, but made a few math errors in the process, so he threw the pieces of paper in the wastebasket. Then he noticed something. The napkin he had used yesterday to clean up his spilled soup had writing on it. He took it out of the trash can and realized it wasn’t a napkin at all, but a scrap of paper. No wonder it hadn’t been absorbent. He smoothed it out and read the writing on the paper, _“Lee, You are the love of my life. Hugs and kisses, Rosemary.”_  
Lee smiled, fondly remembering their days as newlyweds and when he would put a sweet love note on the sink so she would find it getting ready in the morning; she would return the favor by putting a note in his lunch box. Wait a minute? He thought back to their conversation that morning, _“Well, you never notice what I pack in your lunch anyway,”_ he recalled her saying to him. And then, he thought harder about the last few weeks since Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding. The newly married couple was certainly acting all gushy and in love (the paper thin walls of the row houses confirmed that fact on occasion). There was no doubt that Rosemary was thrilled for their dear friends, but Lee could tell there was a part of her that was reminiscent of their time as newlyweds and maybe even to the time before Lilly was born. So THAT’S what this was about! Rosemary just wanted to feel special and feel like she still meant something to him. A knock on his office door interrupted Lee from his thoughts. He looked up and noticed Jack standing outside, so he motioned for him to come in, “Hey Jack, what brings you by today?”  
“Oh, I was stopping by the mercantile to pick up the newspaper and I was wondering if you had gotten my lumber ready for me yet?” asked Jack.  
“Oh,” Lee looked around, having completely forgotten about Jack’s lumber, “I’m sorry Jack, I’ve been so distracted. I’ll make sure Hickam and Murphy get on it and have it filled for you by the end of the week.”  
“Okay, thanks Lee,” Jack went to leave.  
“Jack, wait!” Lee called. Jack turned back around to face his friend, “Listen, I know this might be a little awkward, but you’ve known Rosie longer than anyone else in this town. Is she prone to….random mood swings?”  
“Oh yeah,” Jack answered a little too quickly, “Is there something wrong?” he gained a look of protection over his lifelong friend.  
Lee glanced at the stained note and said, “Not wrong per se, but…” Lee trailed off to compose his thoughts, “I think Rosie’s just a little jealous of you and Elizabeth because you both are in the honeymoon phase and we no longer are,” explained Lee.  
“Oh,” said Jack, “Hey Lee, can I offer you a word of advice without things getting uncomfortable between us?”  
Lee scowled, but motioned towards the chair across from his desk, “Sure, have a seat.”  
Jack sat down across from Lee, “Listen Lee, one thing I know about the LeVeaux family is they’re fans of grand gestures. Her father did so with her mother, her uncle did so with her aunt, and I quickly learned when Rosie and I were courting and briefly engaged that she loves to be wined and dined as well.”  
“So what are you saying?” questioned Lee.  
“Listen, Lee, you love Rosie, right?” asked Jack.  
“More than anyone in the world.”  
“And you want to make her happy?”  
“Deeply and truly,” he confirmed, “Her happiness is my happiness, just like with you and Elizabeth.”  
“Well, then maybe you should show her how much you love her every once in a while. Do something nice for her or give her a nice gift,” Jack stood to leave, “Think about it.”  
Lee glanced down and noticed something in the newspaper Jack was holding, “Hey, Jack can I see that newspaper for a second?”  
“Uh, yeah sure,” Jack handed it to him.  
Lee looked at the events page, _“Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirate and Penzance and the New York Touring Company. Monday, April 12, 1915, 7:00 PM. Hamilton Emerald Theater, Calgary, Alberta. Call the number below for ticket information.”_ And there it was, plain as day, in big, bold letters. The perfect opportunity to show Rosemary how much she meant to him. What was Rosemary’s one true love besides him and Lillian? The theater! And the show was running on their anniversary. Even better! He quickly penned the information down and handed the newspaper back to Jack, “Listen, Jack. Would you and Elizabeth be available to watch Lillian on short notice this week?”  
“Of course, any time,” smiled Jack. Thankfully, Lillian had gotten used to him again now that he had been home for a few weeks.  
“Thanks,” said Lee happily, “See you later, Jack. And thanks for the advice.”  
“Any time, Lee. Thanks for the lumber. And, I know romancing Rosemary isn’t an easy task,” he smirked and left.  
******************************************************************************  
Over the next few days, things hadn’t really gotten much better with Rosemary. Okay, maybe a little better as she was no longer serving him cold breakfasts and diluted coffee. He wouldn’t even mind if she did though. He was about to give her one of the biggest surprises of her life. That Friday, he decided to take a day off of work and volunteered to watch Lillian for the day so Rosemary could have a baby-free day at the dress shop. Jack and Elizabeth had agreed to watch their Goddaughter for the evening and Abigail prepared her famous chicken fried steak, potatoes, and chocolate cherry cake that Rosemary loved. He dropped Lillian off with Jack and Elizabeth, having made sure to gather all of her supplies and also having made sure that Rosemary had pumped enough milk for her. He covered the dining room table with a crimson red cloth, lit a few candles, had the record player playing Let Me Call You Sweetheart in the background, set the table, and poured the champagne. He was wrapping the tickets in her love note just as she walked through the front door. He quickly hid the tickets as her eyes widened. She absorbed her surroundings and a few tears fell down her cheeks, “Lee,” she whispered softly.  
He grabbed the glasses of champagne and handed one to her, “Welcome home, Mrs. Coulter.”  
Rosemary looked around and asked, “Honey, where’s the baby?”  
“She’s next door with Jack and Elizabeth,” Lee said. Rosemary nodded satisfied and took a sip of champagne. It was clearly her favorite brand, “Sweetheart, what’s the occasion?”  
“No occasion,” he pulled out her chair and she sat down, “Your dinner,” he revealed the meal, “And there’s chocolate cherry cake for dessert.”  
“Did you make all of this yourself?” asked Rosemary surprised.  
“No, I just picked it up from Abigail’s,” he admitted sheepishly, “I didn’t want to ruin dinner by cooking it myself.”  
Rosemary snickered and grabbed his hand, “That’s okay. I still would’ve loved you,” after dinner and dessert, Rosemary smiled proudly at her husband and said, “Well, I have to say, Mr. Coulter, you really outdid yourself tonight.”  
“Well, lucky for you, there’s more,” he grinned. He pulled her over into the sitting area and pulled the note and tickets out of his pocket, “Listen, I’ve been trying to figure out for the last few weeks what’s been bothering you and I thought it might’ve either been another pregnancy or a relapse of your depression. That’s why I was asking you all of those bizarre questions the other night,” she nodded her understanding, “Well, then I realized with the help of someone what was really going on with you,” he handed her the tickets and she skimmed the information on them, “It’s the original Broadway cast.”  
“Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and the New York touring company!?” she read, a sheer grin forming on her face and excitement and admiration exploding inside of her.  
“You are the love of my life, Rosemary,” smiled Lee.  
She tried to hold it in, but she just couldn’t anymore, “Oh, Lee!” she screamed, jumping into his arms and wrapping him as tightly as she could. Lee lifted her in the air and spun her around once before he placed her down again. She kissed him with the most passion in a while and she finally let the tears spill loose, “And it’s on our anniversary,” she cried happily, “Oh honey, you’ve really outdone yourself!” she stroked his cheek lovingly.  
Lee grabbed the champagne glasses again and toasted, “To married life.”  
Rosemary smiled, “To being married to you,” they both took a sip and set the glasses down, “Hey, you didn’t specify a time to Jack and Elizabeth for picking up Lilly, did you?”  
Lee answered, “No, why?”  
Rosemary resumed the passionate kiss and grinned, “Because there is one more thing you could do for me tonight, Mr. Coulter,” she snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him a few more times. Lee smiled as his wife grabbed his hand and beamed at him, leading him upstairs for the time being.


	30. Another Addition

Another month passed and Lee and Rosemary were better than ever. They both realized how deeply in love they still were, they just needed to make more of an effort to show it at this point. Their anniversary along with their trip to see Pirates of Penzance had turned out to be a wonderful day. Lee had taken the day off so he had made Rosemary breakfast in bed and then had done Lillian’s morning routine for her. They had exchanged sweet greeting cards and given each other special gifts: Rosemary had finally saved up enough money to get Lee a new watch along with a box of his favorite chocolates she had given him during their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple in Montreal (never mind the fact that Rosemary had spent the entire week playing translator along with wife and also never mind the fact that they had gotten the biggest present of their lives six weeks later) and Lee had gotten Rosie a few new charms for her bracelet he had bought her on that same trip. Lilly had spent the evening with her Godparents, as the couple had left shortly after school had let out for the day. Elizabeth was, of course, thrilled to get to spend time with Lillian while Lee and Rosemary had a special evening just the two of them. They had gone to the same restaurant Lillian was named after, Naomi’s, as it now had a special place in both of their hearts. They had stopped in a few shops before the performance. Rosemary’s eyes had lit up and a huge smile had spread across her face the moment they had entered the theater. Her eyes had been glued to the stage and the actors the entire show; she had also talked about it for the whole ride back to Hope Valley. Lee hadn’t minded though. It had paid off in the end.   
The following Sunday, Rosemary was still talking about Pirates of Penzance to pretty much anyone who would listen, even if by force. Currently, she was holding Elizabeth captive at fellowship after church, “You should’ve seen it, Elizabeth. The magnificent lights, the majesty of the building, the lead actress just glided across the stage and spoke her lines eloquently, never missing a beat. Her performance was absolutely flawless,” Rosemary eagerly described, “Someday, we’re going to get you to the theater, Lilly Bug. First Calgary, then the theaters on Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal where Mommy went as a little girl, though I might need to teach you some French for that, then finally, Broadway,” Rosemary finished wistfully and smiled at her daughter sitting in her lap. Lilly looked as if she was intently listening to every word her mother was saying, though Rosemary figured she hadn’t comprehended any of it, “Right Elizabeth?” Rosemary glanced over at her friend, who also looked as if she hadn’t grasped a word of the conversation, “Elizabeth?” Rosemary sing-songed and waved a hand in front of the town teacher.  
“What?” asked Elizabeth, bringing herself back to reality, “I’m sorry, Rosemary, what were you saying?”  
“Just about how great Pirates of Penzance was,” she grabbed the young newlywed’s hand and asked, “Elizabeth dear, are you alright?”   
Elizabeth put down the plate of biscuits she was picking at and sighed, “I don’t know,” she answered honestly, “I’ve just felt…off the past week. Jack is starting to get worried. He wants me to go see Dr. Shepherd, but I don’t really want to unless it gets worse,” admitted Elizabeth.  
Rosemary nodded understandingly but said, “Elizabeth, as I tell Lee, marriage is all about bothering your spouse until death do you part. If you think something is really wrong, then you need to let him know.”  
Elizabeth rubbed Lilly’s hand and said, “I know. I just don’t want to worry him any further if it’s nothing.”  
“Well, what seems off?” asked Rosemary.  
“I don’t know. I’ve just felt a little tired and run down. A little sick to my stomach here and there. I haven’t wanted to eat much. I’ve been getting a lot of headaches lately,” Elizabeth described.  
Jack, Lee, Abigail, and Frank all walked over to the sitting area, “I made a fresh pot of coffee. Who wants some?”  
Rosemary raised her hand and Abigail poured a mug for her, which caused Elizabeth to gag, “Elizabeth, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” asked Jack.   
“The smell,” said Elizabeth with a face of disgust.  
“It smells like coffee,” said Frank.  
“I know. Excuse me,” Elizabeth got up from the couch and quickly ran outside. She leaned over the railing and began to expel what little she had eaten for breakfast. Jack immediately ran outside after her, held her hair back, and rubbed her back encouragingly.   
Lee and Frank looked at each other confusingly while Abigail and Rosemary both raised their eyebrows and smiled a little, “What?” asked Frank.  
“Can I?” asked Rosemary and Abigail nodded, “Honey, take her,” Rosemary sat Lilly in Lee’s lap.  
She ran out the door where Jack was doing his best to help Elizabeth, “Deep breath, sweetheart. You should start to feel better in a few moments.”  
“Jack,” Rosemary interrupted.  
Jack and Elizabeth turned to face her, “Rosie?”  
She stepped a little closer to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, “Can I talk to Elizabeth alone?”  
“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” he nodded. He went over and kissed Elizabeth’s clammy cheek, “I’ll be inside, honey.”  
Elizabeth nodded and Jack went back into the café. Rosemary watched her friend disappear and then turned back to Elizabeth, “The smell of coffee made you nauseous?”  
“Mmhm. It’s never happened to me before,” Elizabeth confirmed.  
“It’s happened to me,” said Rosemary, “Elizabeth, remember this time last year? How I was tired all the time and generally feeling run down? How I pretty much lost my appetite? How I had constant headaches? And how I was so sick that I could barely think about food without vomiting?”  
“Yeah, because you had just found out you were pregnant with Lilly,” Elizabeth remembered, though she didn’t say anything more. It seemed she still hadn’t figured out what Rosemary was telling her.   
Rosemary chuckled and grabbed her friend’s hands, “Think about what we both just said, Elizabeth. And also what you told me about twenty minutes ago; about the symptoms you’ve been exhibiting. The fatigue and general feeling of being run down, the loss of appetite, the headaches…”  
“And now the nausea,” Elizabeth finished, finally figuring out what Rosemary was hinting about her current condition.  
“Elizabeth,” Rosemary said to get Elizabeth’s attention. Elizabeth looked up at her. Rosemary smiled and squeezed her hands, “I’m in no way qualified to make a formal diagnosis, so you might want to go to Dr. Shepherd for confirmation, but I think Lilly will be getting a playmate soon.”   
Elizabeth smiled as big as the moon and she began to cry and laugh at the same time. Rosemary sort of knew how Elizabeth felt, though she had done a lot more crying at first. It had taken Rosemary a good two hours to finally accept the fact that she was going to be a Mommy after Dr. Shepherd had confirmed her pregnancy. But it seemed Elizabeth was having no trouble accepting it at all. Finally, Elizabeth threw her arms around Rosemary, who happily embraced her back, “I…I can’t believe it! I’m going to be a Mommy! Our children will grow up together!”  
“Whoa, Elizabeth, like I said, please see a doctor for confirmation. I only have a hunch,” said Rosemary.  
“Oh Rosemary, sometimes a woman’s intuition works faster. Jack has been trying to figure out what’s wrong all week and he never even thought of pregnancy.”  
“Believe me, Lee didn’t either,” chuckled Rosemary, “Took me awhile to even consider the possibility myself actually, and I was, like, two weeks late. I even had trouble believing it for a few weeks afterward because I didn’t think I would be a good mother…”  
“Rosie,” Elizabeth touched Rosemary’s shoulder, “No more negative thoughts. You a terrific Mommy and Lilly is so lucky to have you as hers.”  
Rosemary glanced down towards Elizabeth’s stomach, “May I?” Elizabeth nodded and Rosemary laid a hand on Elizabeth’s abdomen, “And this little boy or girl is extremely blessed to have you as his or her Mommy. And Jack will be a terrific Daddy. This is going to be the greatest experience God will ever give you.”


	31. Confirmation

The next day, Rosemary spent most of her day helping Dottie at the shop, though Rosemary did have to leave a little earlier to take Lillian to her six-month check-up (even though Lilly wouldn’t officially be six months old until another couple of weeks had passed). Carson performed a complete physical and Lillian was right on target with weight gain, sensory development, and motor development, “So, is she better at sitting up on her own?” he asked.  
Rosemary nodded, “For around 30 seconds at a time, but I usually still prop her up with a pillow behind her. She’s also gotten better at rolling from her back to her stomach and vice versa.”  
Carson observed her mouth and throat, “Just the bottom front two teeth have come in so far?”  
“That’s correct, although the top two might be soon,” informed Rosemary.  
“And she seems pretty interested in everyone and everything around her?”  
“Oh yes, anything she can get her hands on or babble at puts a smile on her face instantly,” Rosemary exclaimed excitedly.  
“And does she sleep through the night now?” asked Carson.  
“Most of the time, except when she’s teething. And she has one nap in the morning and another nap in the afternoon. “  
“So how many hours a day does she sleep?”  
“Oh goodness,” Rosemary thought about it, “Around 14-15 hours a day.”  
“Well that’s normal at this stage,” said Carson, “And now that she has good head and neck control, it would be the time to start getting her used to a high chair and introducing solid foods in another few weeks.”  
Rosemary grabbed Lilly protectively, “Does that mean I have to stop breastfeeding?”  
“No, in fact it’s highly recommended to keep doing so until at least her first birthday. The majority of your baby’s calories and nutrients will still come from your milk. Also, it probably won’t be much longer before she starts crawling, so I would suggest you and Mr. Coulter start baby-proofing the house: put baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, make sure dangerous objects and chemicals are out of reach, put locks on the lower cabinets, and make sure there’s no furniture that’ll topple over on top of her if she uses it to pull herself up.”  
“Well, it’ll give Lee something to do this weekend,” said Rosemary. Carson gave Lilly her small-pox vaccine and Rosemary took a few moments to soothe her before grabbing her clutch and the diaper bag. She scooped Lilly into her arms, but Carson stopped her before she left, “What?”  
“And you? You’ve been sleeping through the night, eating well, and feeling okay overall?” he asked gently.  
Rosemary nodded slowly, “Yes.”  
“Good,” said Carson, “Now, I have one more appointment today, so I’ll let you both go.”  
“Okay. Thank you, Dr. Shepherd,” Rosemary said before she left the infirmary. She stopped by the mercantile to pick up some ingredients for dinner that night and went home where she read to Lilly before her afternoon nap. She figured she’d use the quiet time to get an early start on dinner, so she started cleaning the tomatoes and added the other ingredients in the pot to start the marinara sauce. About twenty minutes later, Rosemary heard a knock at the door. She looked at the time. It was a little too early for Lee to be home yet and even if he was home, he usually just came right in. Rosemary got up from the settee and opened the door to find Elizabeth on the other side, “Elizabeth,” she said happily.  
“Well, you were right,” said Elizabeth nervously.  
“Well, of course I was. About what?” asked Rosemary.  
“I’m pregnant. Six and a half weeks along,” whispered Elizabeth.  
“Oh Elizabeth!” Rosemary threw her arms around her friend, “That’s wonderful news!”  
“No it’s not!” Elizabeth was starting to panic. Rosemary looked at her in confusion and pulled Elizabeth further into the house. Elizabeth covered her nose and mouth, silently gagging, “Goodness, Rosemary, what is that awful smell?”  
“Spaghetti and tomato sauce,” answered Rosemary and then her eyes widened, “Oh you poor dear. It hasn’t been that long since I was expecting and I’ve already forgotten how terrible the nausea of early pregnancy can be. Sit, sit, I’ll make you some peppermint tea!” she dragged Elizabeth and sat her down on the settee, “Stay!”  
“No, that’s okay Rosemary,” Elizabeth stood, “I tried that and peppermint makes me more nauseous.”  
“Well, at least suck on a few ginger candies,” Rosemary unwrapped one and shoved it towards Elizabeth’s mouth, though the latter swatted it away. Rosemary raised her eyebrows and Elizabeth finally obliged. Rosemary sat down next to Elizabeth and took her hands, “I don’t understand. I thought you’ve always wanted a baby? You love children, practically adore them.”  
“That’s just it, Rosemary, I’ve only dealt with other people’s children,” said Elizabeth getting up and starting to pace, partly out of nerves and partly to get away from the tomato sauce smell, “I don’t know. I loved helping Mother with Julie. I always babysat the neighbor kids. Jack and I have talked about children for a while now. I’ve dreamed of this moments for years, but instead of being excited, I’m really freaking out right now!” Elizabeth stopped and held up her hands, “I mean Julie, the kids I babysat, my students, even Lilly, I love them all to death, but they’re ultimately someone else’s responsibility. What if I’m okay with other people’s kids but absolutely terrible with my own child…?”  
“ELIZABETH!” Rosemary finally got her friend’s attention, “Sit down. Please?” Elizabeth sat back down and Rosemary took a deep breath and began, “Look Elizabeth, you know that have very little maternal instinct and that motherhood hasn’t come naturally to me. You know that I’m terrified of children. You know that whenever I see a child, I want to run in the other direction. If I had to spend 30 hours a week with your students the way you do, I would start pulling my hair out. Or I could get Lilly to do it for me, because she certainly makes a valiant effort most of the time,” Rosemary trailed off and Elizabeth chuckled, “Anyways, back to what I was saying. When I first discovered my pregnancy with Lilly, I was beyond nervous. Terrified, no, horrified is more like it. I didn’t know how to change a diaper. I didn’t know how to breastfeed or bottle-feed for that matter. I didn’t have a clue on how to soothe a crying infant. Quite frankly, I wasn’t positive on how to hold a baby correctly. And then, after Lilly was born, it took all I could to even get out of bed in the morning or the middle of the night because I didn’t care. I mean I didn’t wish harm on her but I didn’t feel anything. I felt empty inside. It took all I could to swallow my pride, go out, and ask Abigail, Dottie, or Molly for advice. I was just going through the motions, and I felt like I had to put a smile on my face because I was supposed to be enjoying motherhood even though deep down, I was in a lot of emotional pain. I thought God had made a mistake putting this child in my care. All I wanted to do was run away to escape my life, to escape my feelings. Poor Lee, he did most of the caring for her those first few months, along with taking care of me. But then two particular moments, my first time in Dr. Brown’s office and one moment a little before Christmas right after Lee went back to work, I finally had moments where it all made sense. I finally understood what everyone was talking about. To look at this little person that Lee and I created with our love; there was no better feeling. I finally started to feel like a mother,” Lillian started to cry and Rosemary smiled, getting an idea to help Elizabeth, “Elizabeth, come on,” she motioned. She turned off the stove and headed towards the stairs.  
“Um, is that a good idea?” asked Elizabeth.  
Rosemary stopped on the stairs and rolled her eyes, “Elizabeth, you’re going to see two bedrooms and a bathroom. You know what those things look like,” Elizabeth hesitantly followed Rosemary into the nursery and Rosemary smiled at Lillian, “How’s my baby girl?” Rosemary gushed at Lilly. Lilly started to root and lick her lips, “A couple minutes, Little Angel, then I’ll feed you,” she placed Lilly in Elizabeth’s arms.  
“Rosemary, you’ve been rambling a lot, but I still don’t see your point,” said Elizabeth.  
“Well, you see her?” asked Rosemary and Elizabeth nodded, “Just think, before the year is out, you’ll be holding your little boy or girl in your arms. I know you, Elizabeth; you’re going to be a terrific Mommy. And Jack has always been great with kids. He’s going to be a wonderful Daddy. But one thing that might make you feel better is if you tell him,” Rosemary emphasized the last four words, “I know I felt 1,000 times better once I told Lee. So I guess what I’m saying is, if I can do it, you can do it.”  
Elizabeth sighed, “It’s fun to imagine what the baby will look like. Thank you, Rosemary, your talk really helped.”  
“You’re welcome,” she smiled, “And if you need any advice on how to get through the pregnancy or the birth, I have been there done, done that; I might as well be an expert.”  
“Well thankfully for me, the birth is still seven months away,” said Elizabeth, a slight panic building up inside of her.  
The two women heard Lee enter the house, “Hey honey, I’m home!”  
They both chuckled and Elizabeth handed Lilly back to her mother, “I’ll send him up.”  
“Okay,” Elizabeth went downstairs while Rosemary started getting ready to feed Lillian. Lee came up a few minutes later.  
“Hey, sweetheart. What was Elizabeth doing up here?” asked Lee curiously, kissing Rosie’s head and squeezing Lilly’s hand.  
“Oh, she just needed a woman to woman talk. You don’t need them, you’re not a woman,” Rosemary said to her husband. Lee rolled his eyes, but kissed her anyways, “Dinner is ready. I’ll be down as soon as I’m done feeding her.”  
“Okay. I’ll go set the table,” said Lee and left his wife and daughter alone.  
Rosemary smiled and then went back to gazing at the infant in her arms, happily suckling away. They rocked back and forth as Rosemary watched on with pride; no, she wasn’t always going to have the best maternal instincts, but she was still grateful that God knew what she had needed in her life before she did and that was Lee and Lillian, the two best things to ever happen to her.


	32. Grateful Parents

The rest of the week came and went and Elizabeth still hadn’t told Jack about her pregnancy. Oh sure, she had tried several times, but she would always chicken out at the last minute. Why on Earth was she so nervous to tell him? They had both prayed for this moment, even before they were married. And God had blessed them with a baby right away. Honestly, she knew he would be thrilled, but there was still this minuscule part of her that wondered if he wouldn’t be happy. Maybe he wanted to establish their routine as a married couple before starting their family. No, that couldn’t be true. He had been over the moon with the idea of a growing Thornton family when they were talking about their house. He always wanted family. Now here she was, she was pregnant with his child, she was about to give him the greatest gift on Earth, and she was honestly thinking he would be upset. How silly of her.  
Elizabeth and Rosemary were enjoying breakfast at Abigail’s before Elizabeth went to school and Rosemary went to the dress shop. Out of everyone in Hope Valley, only Rosemary and Carson officially knew about Elizabeth’s pregnancy and Abigail knew in unofficial capacity. Sure, Elizabeth hadn’t “officially” told her, but given the fact that the young teacher had been drinking and buying a lot of ginger tea as well as requesting lots of Abigail’s homemade chicken noodle soup (not to mention the coffee incident the previous Sunday), Abigail had the feeling another resident would be added to Hope Valley soon.   
The two women and of course Lilly were enjoying the quiet morning, Rosemary chattering a mile a minute about all the new sounds Lilly had figured out how to make, “I’m telling you, Elizabeth, it won’t be much longer before she says Mama and Dada!” Rosemary said excitedly, “Lee and I have a bet on what word she’ll say first. I think it’ll be Mama, she’s a Mama’s girl, aren’t you, Peanut?” Rosemary asked Lilly. Lilly giggled and reached for the flowers on the table, “No, you can’t have Aunt Abigail’s pretty flowers,” Rosemary quickly moved them across the table and found Lilly her rattle so she’d have something to keep her hands and mouth occupied, “So how’s Jack taking the news about the baby?”  
Elizabeth blushed, “Um, I sort of haven’t told him yet,” she admitted sheepishly.   
“Oh Elizabeth, why not?” asked Rosemary in surprise.   
“I just don’t know how to tell him,” Elizabeth said quietly, a few tears in her eyes.  
“Elizabeth, do you need me to tell him?” asked Rosie.  
“NO!” Elizabeth answered adamantly, “Just…how did you tell Lee?”  
Rosemary shrugged, “Well did what you did, kept the news to myself for several days, then one night, I finally gained the courage to just blurt it out.”   
“Oh,” sighed Elizabeth. She spun her spoon around her tea cup for a few moments, “Lately, I just feel like I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to tell Jack about the baby, I don’t even know what to do in my lesson plans my mind has been so foggy. I’m so exhausted and whoever decided to call pregnancy nausea ‘morning sickness’ was lying because it lasts all day long,” Elizabeth emphasized the last three words.  
“That it does,” nodded Rosemary sympathetically, “I would be nauseous from the time I woke up in the morning until the time I went to bed at night. I only felt better when I slept and even then, I never slept through the night because, well, a baby makes you run to the ladies’ room a lot.”   
“Tell me about it,” said Elizabeth, “And getting out of bed makes you dizzy and nauseated and the cycle begins all over again.”   
“Well, one thing that helped me immensely was nibbling a few crackers before I got out of bed. That helped. Sometimes,” said Rosemary.  
Elizabeth took a deep breath, “I really need a break, but I really just can’t cancel school or else everyone in town will get suspicious.”  
“Elizabeth,” Rosemary grabbed her hand, “If you need me to take over your class for a few days, I will.”  
Elizabeth shook her head, “Thanks for the offer, Rosemary, but I can’t ask that of you. You already have your obligations to Dottie and you have to be a Mommy to Lilly. Plus I know you don’t really like kids.”  
“That’s not true, I love kids!” defended Rosemary. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and Rosemary sighed, “Fine, I love my kid.”   
Elizabeth chuckled lightly, “That’s what I thought.”  
“Well, there’s a reason you’re the teacher and I’m an actress turned dress designer,” said Rosemary, “I’m just grateful Dottie lets me bring Lilly to the dress shop with me and work from home sometimes. But I have to admit, it’s pretty fun showing Lilly everything Mommy does. I mean, most of the time all she wants to do is chew on the fabric, but maybe one day she’ll be a world renowned dress designer with a clothing line in Paris. Or maybe, you could be just like Mommy with your own Broadway career. Or maybe, you could do both. How’s that sound, Pumpkin?” Rosemary cooed at Lilly. Lilly smiled and giggled at her mother, “See, she likes the idea of following in Mommy’s footsteps.”  
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, but nodded politely. She certainly hoped both for her sake in the future as well as Lee’s sake that Lillian didn’t become a little mini-Rosemary. She wasn’t sure Hope Valley was ready for that or if even Lee could handle THAT challenge. But Rosemary’s ‘bring your daughter to work’ talk had finally given Elizabeth an idea on a way she could expand on the children’s lesson about business and give her chance to rest at home without revealing her pregnancy just yet, “Oh Rosie, you just gave me a great idea about how I can teach the children _and_ deal with the pregnancy!”   
“I did?” Rosemary furrowed her brow and then smiled, “Well, of course I did. Even Mommy’s bad ideas are good ideas,” she told Lilly.   
Elizabeth gathered her supplies, “Well, I better get off to school,” she said and stood, wavering when she did so, “Whoa.”  
“Rule number one of standing, Elizabeth, don’t do it too fast or you’ll…” before Rosemary finished her sentence, Elizabeth had run outside and promptly began to expel her breakfast, “Make yourself sick,” Rosemary completed her sentence to herself.   
******************************************************************************  
Later that night, after Elizabeth had barely made it through the school day, she decided to swing by Abigail’s and pick up dinner for her and Jack. She was too exhausted from dealing with her students all day (was it just her, or were they louder than normal lately?) not to mention the fact the Abigail’s chicken noodle soup and, for some reason, her pecan pie were the only foods Elizabeth could even think about bringing near her mouth right now. She also brought some pot roast home for Jack, though he wasn’t there when she got home. Elizabeth quickly set the food on the table, doing her best not to gag when she set the pot roast on the table. She decided to set a third place setting as a way to reveal her news to Jack. Elizabeth was lighting a few candles just as Jack walked through the front door, “Good evening, sweetheart.”  
“Hi,” she smiled and kissed him.  
Jack looked around the room, “What’s the occasion?”  
Elizabeth shrugged innocently, “You’re my husband and I love you.”  
Jack hung up his hat and red serge before sitting down at the table next to Elizabeth. The couple said grace before Jack began to devour his pot roast. Elizabeth took small, hesitant bites of soup, “Still feeling sick, sweetheart?”  
“A little,” Elizabeth admitted, “I don’t think I’ll get over it for a while.”  
Jack gave her a look of concern, “Is it something serious? What did Dr. Shepherd say?” Elizabeth made a point of making sure Jack’s eyes landed on the extra place setting. Jack furrowed his brow and asked, “Honey, why is there an extra place setting?”  
“I thought I should get used to setting the table for three Thorntons,” she said casually, a small smile forming on her lips.   
Jack scowled, his face the picture of confusion. Suddenly, Elizabeth’s words sunk in and he began to grin from ear to ear, “Wait a minute? Three Thorntons? Are we? Are you?” Elizabeth nodded softly, “Oh my goodness, you’re saying I’m going to be a Daddy?”  
Elizabeth took his hands in hers, “That’s exactly what I’m saying, sweetheart.”  
“Oh Elizabeth!” Jack stood and stood his wife up with him. He smiled broadly and quickly wrapped her in a loving embrace. Elizabeth swore he saw a few tears escape from his eyes, “I can’t believe it!”  
“So you’re excited?” she asked, relaxing in his arms.  
“Of course I’m excited! Why wouldn’t I be?” asked Jack in shock.  
“Just because it happened so fast! We’ve only been married a short time. We haven’t even fully adjusted to married life yet and now we’re already facing parenthood.”  
Jack crouched down and kissed Elizabeth’s belly. He stood back up again and rubbed his hand over their unborn child, “And what an adventure it’ll be.”   
******************************************************************************  
Meanwhile, next door, Rosemary had just finished reading Lilly a bedtime story to help her fall asleep. She smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead, brushing her slowly lengthening blonde-curls out of her face, “I love you, my little Princess.”   
She placed Lilly in her crib and turned her back to leave the nursery when she heard it, “Mama.”   
Rosemary sharply turned and ran back over to the crib and she heard it again, “Mama.”  
Rosemary smiled in sheer joy. Sure, it was probably just random babbling, but still, she said it! Rosemary beamed gleefully and ran to the door frame, “LEE! LEE! Come here!”   
She heard her husband running down the hall, “What? What’s wrong?” he came over to the crib worriedly.   
“She said it! She said ‘Mama!’,” Rosemary was smiling and laughing hysterically. Lee grinned from ear to ear as well, “Come on, Lilly Bug. Say it again for Daddy!”   
Several moments passed, but she didn’t say anything, “Anytime now, Princess,” cooed Lee.  
“I swear she said it. I heard it with my own two ears,” said Rosemary, “Looks like someone owes me dinner at the saloon tomorrow,” she nudged him jokingly.  
“No proof, no dinner,” smirked Lee. The couple decided Lilly wasn’t going to say anything more, as she was slowly falling asleep, so Lee wrapped his arm around Rosie to escort her back to their room, when they both heard it faintly.  
“Mama.”


	33. Working Mom Life

The next morning, Elizabeth had all of the business owners in Hope Valley gather in the saloon while the children played outside. Rosemary took this opportunity to let everyone in town know that Lilly had said ‘Mama’ for the first time the night before; of course, Lilly had done nothing but random babbling since then, but still, she had said ‘Mama’, “Lilly said ‘Mama’ to me last night! Oh it was absolutely adorable. It made my heart just melt and left me in a puddle of tears,” Rosemary chattered on, fighting back tears at the memory, “I never thought I would love hearing that word said to me, but I’m already trying to get her to say ‘Mama’ to me again. Right, Pumpkin? Come on, say it! Say ‘Mama’!” Lilly wasn’t intent on babbling though. Instead she had decided to be kind of quiet, content with sucking on her pacifier.  
“If I could have everyone’s attention please!” Elizabeth called and everyone sat down, “As many of you know, the children have been learning about business in my class. As a hands-on learning experience, I would really like my students to spend one day with a business in Hope Valley. It’s strictly voluntary, so you don’t have to participate if you are unwilling or are unable to, but I think it would be a really great opportunity for them.”  
“Well, that sounds like a marvelous opportunity, Elizabeth,” said Rosemary excitedly.  
“Like I said, it’s only for a day,” pleaded Elizabeth.  
“Sure, I’ll do it,” stated Dottie.  
Well, I can’t wait to teach a clever child how to design high fashion!” exclaimed Rosemary excitedly, “But you’ll always get first dibs on Mommy’s expertise, won’t you Sweet Pea?” asked Rosie and Lilly sneezed, “Oh bless you. Lee will do it as well.”  
“I will?” asked Lee turning to his wife. Rosemary raised her eyebrows and Lee responded, “I mean, of course I will, I just don’t know if your kids are gonna find what I do very interesting.”  
“Nonsense. You’re the town’s biggest employer. And you, Lee Coulter, are fascinating,” Rosemary smiled and stroked his cheek with her thumb. Mr. Yost laughed a little but pretended to start coughing when both Lee and Rosemary looked at him.  
“Please sign this if you’re willing to participate,” Elizabeth handed her clipboard to Rosie.  
Lee went to take it from his wife, but Rosemary stopped him, “Why don’t you just sign me up?"  
“Mmhm.”  
“Okay.” Slowly but surely, everyone else agreed to participate as well.  
******************************************************************************  
The following Monday, Elizabeth thankfully woke up feeling well enough to get to school, though she still made sure to eat something light and avoid coffee at all costs. By the time her students arrived at school, Elizabeth had written all of the names of the businesses who had agreed to participate in her project on the board. The only two people who hadn’t agreed had been Abigail and Jack, who as mayor and the town Mountie had to be on call for out of town emergencies, “Good morning boys and girls!”  
“Good morning, Mrs. Thornton,” they all said happily.  
Elizabeth stood and took a deep breath, hoping the dizziness would pass and was thankfully successful, “For your next project, which will take place this Friday, you will be going to one of the businesses in Hope Valley to expand on our lessons about the professional world,” explained Elizabeth and pointed to the chalkboard, “Listed on the board are the shops and businesses who have agreed to participate in the project. You will each get to choose one and you will spend the day with them. Now, who want to go where?”  
Emily happily raised her hand and said, “I’d like to go to the dress shop!”  
Elizabeth nodded and wrote Emily’s name next to ‘Dottie’s Apparel’ when a thought hit her. She turned around and said, “Now, Emily, you are aware you will have to help Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs. Coulter and learn from them, correct?” Out of all the town children, Emily loved entertaining and playing with Lillian the most.  
“I know,” she sighed, though she did seem a tad disappointed. After the other students had chosen the place where they wanted to spend the day, Elizabeth continued her lessons, dismissing the students a little early that way she could let the business owners know who would be joining them on Friday; also, by mid-afternoon, her fatigue and nausea usually peaked. Elizabeth stopped by the infirmary, the saw mill, the mercantile, and a few other shops before she made her way over to Dottie’s.  
“Afternoon, Elizabeth,” greeted Dottie, “Who is the lucky boy or girl who will be spending the day with us on Friday?”  
“Emily Montgomery,” Elizabeth informed and looked around for Rosemary, “Where’s Rosie?”  
“She’s in the back room feeding the baby,” answered Dottie just as the said woman came out with Lillian in her arms.  
“Oh Elizabeth, I’m glad I caught you! I wanted to talk to you about your…” Rosemary started and Elizabeth widened her eyes, motioning her head towards Dottie, “About your project.”  
Luckily, Dottie didn’t seem to notice, “You know what, Rosie. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”  
“Are you sure?” asked Rosemary, “I have a few sketches I’m still working on right now.”  
“Well, you can do that from home. Besides, Lilly has been coughing and sneezing all day, so it might be an idea to take her home,” said Dottie.  
Rosemary nodded and gathered her belongings before following Elizabeth back to their houses, “So which child do I get to help teach high fashion to?” she asked excitedly.  
“Emily,” Elizabeth answered.  
“Oh goody,” Rosemary happily replied, “Did you hear that, Lilly Bug? Emily Montgomery is going to be spending the day with us on Friday, so you will have to share your Mommy for a few hours,” Rosemary said to Lilly. Once they arrived at the row houses, Rosemary turned to Elizabeth and asked, “Did you want me to do anything for you? I can do laundry, dusting; oh I can make you anything you’re craving if you want…”  
“Rosie,” Elizabeth interrupted her, “I’m fine, really.”  
Rosemary narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth, “Elizabeth, when I was pregnant, I could not do a lot in the first trimester no matter how hard I tried to be Superwoman. Now, please, let me do something. I insist.”  
“Well,” Elizabeth said hesitantly, “Jack does have uniforms that need ironed…”  
“Well, I’ll do that then,” said Rosemary proudly and then glanced at Lilly in her arms, “How about we go to my house though? All of Lilly’s stuff is there.”  
“Okay, I’ll bring them over,” Elizabeth smiled gratefully. Rosemary went inside, sat Lilly down, and set everything up. Rosemary glanced over at Lilly in her bassinet, noticing how her baby girl was slowly outgrowing it. Maybe it was time for Lee to make a bigger playpen for her. Once Elizabeth arrived, Rosemary insisted on fluffing the couch cushions and pampering Elizabeth.  
“Just sit back, relax, and let me take care of these,” Rosemary said, “And I also meant it when I said I’d make you anything you wanted. Ginger tea, soup, even scrambled eggs if you want,” Rosemary joked but then noticed Elizabeth turning green, “Oh dear,” Rosemary grabbed one of the buckets under the sink and passed it off to Elizabeth, “I probably shouldn’t have mentioned…”  
Once Elizabeth was finished, she passed the bucket to Rosemary, “This is one part of pregnancy I could really live without.”  
“Believe me, we all could,” sympathized Rosemary as she went to wash out the pail.  
Lilly started coughing again and Elizabeth went over to her Goddaughter, stroking her cheek and rubbing her head. Elizabeth scowled, “Is she sick?”  
“No, at least, I don’t think so,” responded Rosemary, “I think it’s just allergies with the changes of seasons. Pollen is everywhere.”  
“I don’t know. She feels a little warm,” Elizabeth commented.  
“Well, maybe I need to open a window then,” said Rosemary. She opened the front window, “There, that should cool you off,” she cooed at Lilly and Lilly giggled a little, “See, she’s fine.”  
Elizabeth frowned, but she didn’t want to lecture Rosemary about parenting. She was too tired and nauseated and quite frankly, she had the feeling Rosemary wouldn’t take it well. She figured Rosemary knew her own child better than she did, so she just let it go. Once Rosemary had finished the ironing, Lillian started to cry so Rosemary warmed a bottle for her, “Can I feed her?” asked Elizabeth.  
Rosemary rolled her eyes jokingly, but nodded, “Yes, you can use my child as your guinea pig.”  
Elizabeth eagerly took Lilly into her arms and offered her the bottle, though Lilly was very resistant of it, “Come on, sweetheart, time to eat.”  
“I don’t know why she’s been so fussy these past few days. Lee and I really have to fight with her to get her to eat. I mean she eventually does, but only after a lot of effort on our part,” said Rosemary.  
Lilly finally accepted the bottle, much to Rosemary’s relief. As Elizabeth fed Lilly, she observed how flushed the infant’s face was and opening the window hadn’t cooled her off any. Elizabeth looked up at Rosemary and softly asked, “Rosemary, are you sure Lillian is alright?”  
“Of course,” Rosemary affirmed, “She sometimes becomes a fussy eater and sleeper when a new tooth is coming in, so she’s probably teething again.” Lilly finished her bottle and Rosemary handed Elizabeth a burp cloth.  
“I don’t know Rosemary, she still feels pretty warm,” Elizabeth said and they both heard Lilly spit up on the cloth.  
“Dirty cloths go in that basket,” pointed Rosemary and Elizabeth dropped the soiled cloth in the proper hamper.  
“I’m just saying, Rosie, she’s fussy, she’s giving you trouble eating and sleeping, she might have a fever, it might be worth a trip to Dr. Shepherd…”  
“So you’re saying I don’t know how to take care of my own child?!” shouted Rosemary taking Lilly back from Elizabeth. The baby started to scream and Rosemary began to soothe her, “It’s okay baby girl.”  
“Rosie, I’m not saying that at all…”  
“I know I might not be a natural mother or as good with kids as you, but I think I’ve got this whole ‘being a mom’ thing figured out, at least with my own daughter!” scolded Rosemary.  
“You know, I’m sorry I brought it up,” Elizabeth grabbed Jack’s uniforms, “Thanks for ironing these for me, but I’m going to go.” Elizabeth hastily left the Coulter house.  
******************************************************************************  
Later that night, after Rosemary struggled to put Lillian to sleep, she breathed a sigh of relief once Lillian was finally content. Lee was already dressed for bed, “How’s she doing?” he asked worriedly.  
“She ate, but it wasn’t as long as she usually does,” said Rosemary as she changed into her sleepwear, “And then I finally got her to start drifting off to sleep,” she snuggled under the covers and kissed Lee, “So who do you have shadowing you on Friday?”  
“I’ll have Cody following me around for the day,” informed Lee. Rosemary smiled at his joy. As much as Lee loved Lillian, there was a small part of her that knew Lee wanted a son as well as a daughter. Maybe, hopefully, in the future, they could add a little boy to their family. She guessed if she ever got baby fever again (or at all; she hadn’t really had baby fever when she got pregnant with Lilly), Lee and she could talk about it. She didn’t have any magnificent experiences with siblings growing up an only child, but hearing Lee talk about his short time with Patrick made her want to give Lilly a little brother or sister someday, “Rosie?” she finally heard her husband.  
“Hmm?” she asked, bringing herself back to reality.  
“I asked you who will be at the dress shop?” clarified Lee.  
“Oh, um, Emily Montgomery,” answered Rosie.  
The couple heard crying again and Rosemary whimpered, “Do you need me to get her?” asked Lee.  
Rosemary shook her head, “No, she didn’t eat a lot so she probably needs to nurse again or just wants to comfort nurse,” Lee nodded as Rosemary climbed out of bed and went to the nursery, “What’s wrong, Lilly Bug?” Rosie asked softly as she lifted a screaming Lillian into her arms. Rosemary felt her forehead and she was warmer, warmer than she had been earlier, “Oh, baby girl, you’re burning up. Lee! LEE!” she shouted.  
She heard her husband bolt out of bed and run down the hall, “What? What’s wrong?”  
“Something’s wrong,” Rosemary sobbed as tears poured down her cheeks, “Lillian…she’s hot…not breathing well….go get…doctor…NOW!”  
Thankfully, Lee was able to translate Rosemary’s random phrases from worried mother to English, “Okay, Rosie, you stay here with her, I’ll go get Carson,” Lee quickly ran back to their room to get dressed.  
Rosemary sat down in the rocking chair, trying to help Lilly calm down some, “It’s okay baby, Daddy’s getting you help.” After a few moments, Rosie’s voice helped soothe Lilly’s tears, but Rosemary couldn’t stop her own.


	34. Lilly's Malady

Lee dressed as quickly as possible and ran to Carson’s house as fast as his legs would carry him. He knocked on the door fairly loudly in the hopes that Carson would hear him. A few moments later, the town doctor answered the door, “Lee, is something wrong?” he asked the nervous father, curious as to why Lee was at his house late at night.  
“Lilly,” he began, “Something’s wrong with her. She’s hot so she’s obviously running a fever, she’s not breathing well, and she’s been coughing and sneezing a lot the past few days. Rosie’s with her at our house.”  
“Okay, Lee,” said Carson, “Get Rosemary to take Lilly to the infirmary. I’ll wake Faith and we’ll examine her and go from there. Okay?”  
Lee nodded and left Carson’s house, fighting back a few tears. Something was wrong with his baby girl and he felt helpless, similar to how he had felt when Rosemary had been battling postpartum depression. He arrived back at home and found a distraught Rosemary trying to comfort a wheezing Lillian. He came up behind Rosemary and laid his hand on her shoulder, “Rosie, Carson wants us to take Lillian to the infirmary so he can examine her there.”  
Rosemary nodded and handed the baby to Lee. She could hear him trying to sing to her to calm her down, and thankfully, Lilly was just about the only person in Hope Valley that didn’t mind the fact that Lee couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Rosemary didn’t even bother to change out of her pajamas; she just laced up her shoes and threw her red coat on over her nightgown. The parents rushed over to the infirmary where Carson and Faith already had an exam room ready, “Alright Lilly, let’s see what’s wrong,” Faith cooed in a soothing voice. She took the baby from Rosemary and laid her on one of the infant exam tables.   
“Alright Lillian, let’s take a listen,” Carson listened to Lilly’s heartbeat and breathing with the stethoscope, “You said she’s been coughing and sneezing a lot lately?”  
“Yes,” Rosemary affirmed, “And she’s having a hard time breathing.”  
Carson took Lilly’s temperature, “39 degrees Celsius, 103 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s pretty serious given her age,” he said to Faith, “How has her appetite been?” he asked Rosemary.   
“She hasn’t been eating well,” Rosemary informed, “Normally she nurses from both breasts for about 10-15 minutes each, but lately she’s been barely spending 5 minutes on one. I’ve had to pump a lot just to keep my milk supply up.”   
“And how many diapers has she been going through?” asked Faith.  
“About 4 instead of her normal 8-10 wet or soiled diapers a day,” Rosemary looked over at Lee, and he nodded in confirmation.  
“That could be a sign she’s dehydrated,” Faith told Carson. He listened to Lilly’s breathing one more time before he removed the stethoscope.  
Carson took a deep breath and told Faith, “Start getting a ten day dose of antibiotics ready while I talk to Lee and Rosemary,” she nodded and went to get the medicine.  
“Dr. Shepherd, what’s with our baby?” asked an agitated Rosemary.  
“Rosemary, I think Lilly has pneumonia,” Carson gave the parents a diagnosis.  
“Oh my gosh,” Rosemary started to cry.  
“Will she be okay?” questioned Lee, wrapping his arms around hysterical Rosemary.  
“Well, we can’t know for sure whether it’s bacterial or viral pneumonia, so Faith is putting together a round of antibiotics just to be on the safe side,” informed Carson, “You’ll have to give her a dose in the morning and in the evening via an oral syringe for the next ten days.”   
“How did this happen?” asked Rosemary, fighting back tears.  
“She could’ve easily picked up a cold or another respiratory illness from anyone and given the fact that her immune system is still fairly fragile, it could’ve morphed into pneumonia,” said Carson.   
“Oh goodness,” said Rosemary, “She’s been coughing and sneezing all weekend, but I thought it was just allergies with the change of seasons…”   
“I know, Rosemary. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish different illnesses and pneumonia can come on pretty quickly,” said Carson.  
“So how do we make her feel better besides the antibiotics?” asked Lee.   
“The two main things Lilly needs right now are bed rest and fluids, so she might sleep even more than she usually does. And you need to try to feed her more often to prevent dehydration, even if you have to pump more bottles so Lee or someone else can take over some of the feedings,” explained Carson.  
“I’ll just let Dottie know I can’t work the rest of the week,” said Rosemary, “Anything else?” she asked softly.   
“If she’s really struggling to breath, has a blue color in her face or finger tips, or if her temperature continues to stay above 38 degrees Celsius, bring her back immediately. Also if she doesn’t begin to eat better or shows signs of severe dehydration, I can arrange to get her to Children’s Hospital.”  
Faith came back with the medicine and handed it to Lee, “She should take it in the morning and evening for ten days.”   
Rosemary cradled Lilly in her arms and the couple went to leave, “Thank you both for getting up this late to help her,” Rosemary said appreciatively.   
“No problem, Rosemary,” acknowledged Carson.  
“We hope Lilly feels better,” said Faith.   
When Lee and Rosemary arrived back at their house, Rosemary attempted to feed Lillian one more time and changed her before settling her down. Thankfully, she seemed to nurse for about ten minutes and her diaper was fairly wet. By the time Rosemary had gotten Lilly to sleep and returned to her room, Lee had already changed back into his pajamas and was lying in bed with his eyes closed, though Rosemary knew her husband wasn’t asleep. She sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to stop them, but it was no use. The tears started to flow and Rosemary sobbed into her hands. She felt the bed move and then noticed Lee’s arms wrapped around her, “It’s okay, Rosie,” he said calmingly.  
“No it’s not, Lee! I almost killed her!”   
“You heard what Carson said. It could be confused with another illness or it could’ve developed quickly and it was hard to notice…”  
“He was just saying that to make me feel better because Elizabeth noticed!” shouted Rosemary. Lee looked taken aback but he nodded, indicating for Rosemary to continue, “Elizabeth was by earlier today because I helped her with some of her household responsibilities. The poor dear is so tired and nauseous just like I was when I was pregnant,” of course, Rosemary hadn’t told Lee about Elizabeth being pregnant yet, but he decided that conversation was for a different time, “Anyways, she was over here this afternoon and she told me something was wrong with Lilly and I didn’t want to believe her. She even recommended I take Lillian to Dr. Shepherd and I told her off. She left obviously upset. Her baby isn’t even here yet and she’s already a better mother than me. I knew I should’ve just given Jack and Elizabeth our baby once she was born. I really AM a failure as a mother.”  
“Rosie, look at me,” Lee had Rosemary look into his eyes and had her take a few deep breaths the way Dr. Brown had taught them both in counseling, “Listen, you won’t always be the perfect mother and you will make mistakes, but now that you know what’s wrong with Lilly, you can help her feel better. And you know how I know you’re not a failure as a mother?”  
Rosemary sniffled, “How?”   
Lee looked down at Rosemary, “Because a good mother always wants what’s best for her child. And we’re having this conversation because you want what’s best for Lilly,” Rosemary chuckled lightly and Lee kissed her temple, “And what’s best for Lilly is for her Mommy to always be there looking out for her. And I can’t think of any woman who’s more protective of the people she loves than you.”   
“Well, I feel like I fail Lilly a lot,” admitted Rosemary sadly.   
“I know you do. But from my point of view, I just see a woman who’s learning to become a good mother. And over these past six months, you’ve come so far in that process and you’re only going to get better from here,” Lee was happy once he noticed Rosemary had stopped crying.   
Rosemary grabbed his hand and squeezed it, “And I’m glad I’ve gotten to see you learn how to be a wonderful Daddy. The main reason I feel like I can be a good Mommy is because I have you right here by my side supporting me,” the couple stayed silent for a few minutes when Rosemary spoke, “I think we should have another baby.”  
Lee scowled in shock, “Like NOW?!”  
“No, not now,” Rosemary calmed him down, “I’ve just been thinking lately, I know you love Lilly to death and you are a wonderful father to her. But I know there’s a part of you that also wants a little boy and even though I have no experience with siblings, the way you talk about Patrick makes me want to give Lilly a little brother or sister someday. Not right now, but maybe when she’s a little older. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’d really like to have another baby with you. Not necessarily now, but sometime in the future.”  
The couple tucked themselves into bed and Lee said, “What happens if it’s another girl?” asked Lee.  
Rosie smiled broadly, “Well, then, I guess you’ll have three beautiful women who will have you wrapped around their little fingers.” Rosemary kissed Lee’s cheek.  
“Oh goodness,” said Lee. The couple heard Lillian cry and Rosemary whimpered, “Tell you what? I’ll take care of her tonight since you have a lot of bottles pumped and you’re going to be the one home with her for the rest of the week.”  
“Alright, but if she gets too fussy, bring her to me,” Lee nodded and left the room. Rosemary took a deep breath and closed her eyes, finally succumbing to her exhaustion.


End file.
